LRBs0109/1
TKK:jld:jm
2013 - 2014 LEGISLATURE
SENATE SUBSTITUTE AMENDMENT 1,
TO SENATE BILL 262
September 11, 2013 - Offered by Senator Lazich.
SB262-SSA1,1,3 1An Act to renumber and amend 5.85 (2) (b); to amend 5.85 (2) (a), 5.85 (3) and
27.08 (1) (a); and to create 5.85 (2) (b) 1. of the statutes; relating to: labeling
3of duplicate ballots.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
Current law permits an election official to create a duplicate of an elector's
ballot when one of two circumstances occur: 1) the elector's original ballot is damaged
or defective such that the ballot cannot be properly counted by automatic tabulating
equipment; or 2) the elector has overvoted for an office by writing in votes for more
candidates than the number of votes authorized to be cast. In the first circumstance,
the election official duplicates the elector's ballot in its entirety. In the second
circumstance, the election official duplicates the elector's original ballot but does not
complete that portion of the ballot for the office for which the elector overvoted.
Current law requires the election official to retain and write "Damaged Ballot" or
"Overvoted Ballot" on the elector's original ballot. Current law also requires the
election official to write "Duplicate Damaged Ballot" or "Duplicate Overvoted Ballot"
on the duplicate ballot.
This substitute amendment requires the election officials to identify and
number these ballots and duplicate ballots in that portion of the ballot for official
endorsement. The substitute amendment requires the Government Accountability
Board to include on each official ballot form, in the space for official endorsement,

markings or spaces for identifying these ballots and for writing an identifying serial
number.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
enact as follows:
SB262-SSA1,1 1Section 1. 5.85 (2) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB262-SSA1,2,182 5.85 (2) (a) The election officials shall examine the ballots or record of votes cast
3for write-in votes and shall count and tabulate the write-in votes. The election
4officials shall count write-in votes as provided in s. 7.50 (2) (d).
When an electronic
5voting system is used in which ballots are distributed to electors, before separating
6the remaining ballots from their respective covering envelopes, the election officials
7shall examine the ballots for write-in votes. When an elector has cast a write-in
8vote, the election officials shall compare the write-in vote with the votes on the ballot
9to determine whether the write-in vote results in an overvote for any office. In case
10of an overvote for any office, the election officials shall make a true duplicate ballot
11of all votes on the ballot except for the office that is overvoted, by using an official
12ballot of that kind used by the elector who voted the original ballot, and one of the
13marking devices so as to transfer all votes of the elector except for the office
14overvoted, to an official ballot of that kind used in the ward at that election. Unless
15election officials are selected under s. 7.30 (4) (c) without regard to party affiliation,
16the election officials shall consist in each case of at least one election official of each
17of the 2 major political parties, whenever officials of both parties are present
follow
18the procedure in par. (b)
.
SB262-SSA1,2 19Section 2. 5.85 (2) (b) of the statutes is renumbered 5.85 (2) (b) 2. and amended
20to read:
SB262-SSA1,3,13
15.85 (2) (b) 2. Write-in votes shall be counted as provided in s. 7.50 (2) (d). The
2On any original ballot upon which there is an overvote , the election officials shall be
3clearly labeled
, in the space on the ballot for official endorsement, identify the ballot
4as an
"Overvoted Ballot" and write a serial number. On the duplicate ballot produced
5under par. (a) shall be clearly labeled subd. 1., the election officials shall, in the space
6on the ballot for official endorsement, identify the ballot as a
"Duplicate Overvoted
7Ballot."" and write a serial number. The election officials shall place the same serial
8number on each "Overvoted Ballot" and its corresponding "Duplicate Overvoted
9Ballot," commencing with number "1" and continuing consecutively for each of the
10ballots for which a "Duplicate Overvoted Ballot" is produced in that ward or election
11district. The election officials shall initial the "Duplicate Overvoted Ballot" ballots
12and shall place them in the container for return of the ballots. The "Overvoted Ballot"
13ballots and their envelopes shall be placed in the "Original Ballots" envelope.
SB262-SSA1,3 14Section 3. 5.85 (2) (b) 1. of the statutes is created to read:
SB262-SSA1,3,2415 5.85 (2) (b) 1. In case of an overvote for any office, the election officials shall
16make a true duplicate ballot of all votes on the ballot except for the office that is
17overvoted in the manner described in this subdivision. The election officials shall use
18an official ballot of that kind used by the elector who voted the original ballot, and
19one of the marking devices, so as to transfer all votes of the elector except for the office
20overvoted to an official ballot of that kind used in the ward at that election. Unless
21election officials are selected under s. 7.30 (4) (c) without regard to party affiliation,
22whenever election officials of both of the 2 major political parties are present, the
23election officials acting under this subdivision shall consist in each case of at least
24one election official of each of the parties.
SB262-SSA1,4 25Section 4. 5.85 (3) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB262-SSA1,4,25
15.85 (3) The election officials shall examine the ballots to determine if any is
2damaged or defective so that it cannot be counted by the automatic tabulating
3equipment. If any ballot is damaged or defective so that it cannot be properly counted
4by the automatic tabulating equipment, the election officials, in the presence of
5witnesses, shall make a true duplicate ballot of all votes on that ballot by using one
6of the marking devices so as to transfer all votes of the elector to an official ballot of
7that kind used by the elector who voted the original ballot in that election. Unless
8election officials are selected under s. 7.30 (4) (c) without regard to party affiliation,
9whenever election officials of both of the 2 major political parties are present, the
10election officials acting under this subsection shall consist in each case of at least one
11election official of each of the 2 major political parties, whenever officials of both
12parties are present. The
. On any damaged or defective original ballot, the election
13officials
shall be clearly labeled, in the space on the ballot for official endorsement,
14identify the ballot as a
"Damaged Ballot" and write a serial number. On the duplicate
15ballot so produced under this subsection, the election officials shall, in the space for
16official endorsement, identify the ballot as a
"Duplicate Damaged Ballot", and each
17shall bear the
write a serial number. The election officials shall place the same serial
18number which shall be placed thereon by the election officials, on each "Damaged
19Ballot" and its corresponding "Duplicate Damaged Ballot,"
commencing with
20number "1" and continuing consecutively for the ballots of that kind each of the
21ballots for which a "Duplicate Damaged Ballot" is produced
in the ward or election
22district
. The election officials shall initial the "Duplicate Damaged Ballot" ballots,
23and shall place them in the container for return of the ballots. The officials shall
24place "Damaged Ballot" ballots and their envelopes in the "Original Ballots"
25envelope.
SB262-SSA1,5
1Section 5. 7.08 (1) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB262-SSA1,5,112 7.08 (1) (a) Prescribe all official ballot forms necessary under chs. 5 to 12 and
3revise the official ballot forms to harmonize with legislation and the current official
4status of the political parties whenever necessary. The board shall include on each
5ballot form, in the space for official endorsement, markings or spaces for identifying
6a ballot as an overvoted ballot, a duplicate overvoted ballot, a damaged ballot, or a
7duplicate damaged ballot, and for writing an identifying serial number.
The board
8shall provide one copy of each ballot form without charge to each county and
9municipal clerk and board of election commissioners. The board shall distribute or
10arrange for distribution of additional copies. The prescribed forms shall be
11substantially followed in all elections under chs. 5 to 12.
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