LRB-3616/1
RJM&JTK:rs&cmh:pg
2001 - 2002 LEGISLATURE
October 10, 2001 - Introduced by Representatives Walker, Bock, Jeskewitz,
Musser, Ladwig, Freese, Kreibich, Bies, Sykora, Ryba, Albers, Gunderson,
Owens, F. Lasee, Kreuser, Turner, Boyle, Meyerhofer
and Berceau,
cosponsored by Senators Welch, Cowles, Wirch, Rosenzweig, Darling, Burke
and Schultz. Referred to Committee on Campaigns and Elections.
AB548,1,3 1An Act to renumber 5.60 (8); and to amend 5.02 (21), 5.02 (22), 5.58 (intro.),
26.24 (5), 8.12 (1) and (3), 10.06 (1) (e), 10.06 (2) (b), 10.06 (2) (d) and 10.06 (2)
3(g) of the statutes; relating to: the date of the presidential preference primary.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
Under current law, the presidential preference primary (presidential primary)
is held in this state on the first Tuesday in April, which is the date of the spring
election. This bill changes the date of the presidential primary to the third Tuesday
in February, which is the date of the spring primary. With limited exceptions, the bill
also moves the deadlines applicable to the presidential primary, including the
deadline for certifying to the elections board whose names will appear on the
presidential primary ballot, to a date that is approximately six weeks earlier than
the date provided under current law.
For further information see the state and local fiscal estimate, which will be
printed as an appendix to this bill.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
enact as follows:
AB548, s. 1 4Section 1. 5.02 (21) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB548,2,25 5.02 (21) "Spring election" means the election held on the first Tuesday in April
6to elect judicial, educational and municipal officers, nonpartisan county officers, and

1sewerage commissioners and to express preferences for the person to be the
2presidential candidate for each party
.
AB548, s. 2 3Section 2. 5.02 (22) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB548,2,84 5.02 (22) "Spring primary" means the nonpartisan primary held on the 3rd
5Tuesday in February to nominate nonpartisan candidates to be voted for at the
6spring election and to express preferences for the person to be the presidential
7candidate for each party in a year in which electors for president and vice president
8are to be elected
.
AB548, s. 3 9Section 3. 5.58 (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB548,2,15 105.58 Spring primary ballots. (intro.) At spring primary elections the
11following ballots, when necessary, shall be provided for each ward, except as
12authorized in s. 5.655. Only Except as provided under sub. (2r), only nonpartisan
13candidates nominated for office by nomination papers shall have their names placed
14on the official spring primary ballot under the proper office designation, but the
15ballots shall allow room for write-in candidates.
AB548, s. 4 16Section 4. 5.60 (8) of the statutes is renumbered 5.58 (2r).
AB548, s. 5 17Section 5. 6.24 (5) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB548,2,2218 6.24 (5) Ballots. The board shall prescribe a special ballot for use under this
19section whenever necessary. Official ballots prescribed for use in the presidential
20preference primary may also be used. The ballot shall be designed to comply with
21the requirements prescribed under ss. 5.60 (8) 5.58 (2r), 5.62, and 5.64 (1) insofar as
22applicable. All ballots shall be limited to national offices only.
AB548, s. 6 23Section 6. 8.12 (1) and (3) of the statutes are amended to read:
AB548,3,824 8.12 (1) Selection of names for ballot. (a) No later than 5 p.m. on the first
253rd Tuesday in January November, or the next day if Tuesday is a holiday, in of the

1year before
each year in which electors for president and vice president are to be
2elected, the state chairperson of each recognized political party listed on the official
3ballot at the last gubernatorial election whose candidate for governor received at
4least 10% of the total votes cast for that office may certify to the board that the party
5will participate in the presidential preference primary. For each party filing such a
6certification, the voters of this state shall at the spring election primary be given an
7opportunity to express their preference for the person to be the presidential
8candidate of that party.
AB548,4,29 (b) On the last 2nd Tuesday in January in December of the year before each year
10in which electors for president and vice president are to be elected, there shall be
11convened in the capitol a committee consisting of, for each party filing a certification
12under this subsection, the state chairperson of that state party organization or the
13chairperson's designee, one national committeeman and one national
14committeewoman designated by the state chairperson; the speaker and the minority
15leader of the assembly or their designees, and the president and the minority leader
16of the senate or their designees. All designations shall be made in writing to the
17board. This committee shall organize by selecting an additional member who shall
18be the chairperson and shall determine, and certify to the board, no later than on the
19Friday following the last Tuesday in January date on which the committee convenes
20under this paragraph
, the names of all candidates of the political parties represented
21on the committee for the office of president of the United States. The committee shall
22place the names of all candidates whose candidacy is generally advocated or
23recognized in the national news media throughout the United States on the ballot,
24and may, in addition, place the names of other candidates on the ballot. The

1committee shall have sole discretion to determine that a candidacy is generally
2advocated or recognized in the national news media throughout the United States.
AB548,4,143 (c) No later than 5 p.m. on the 3rd first Tuesday in February January of each
4presidential election year, any person seeking the nomination by the national
5convention of a political party filing a certification under this subsection for the office
6of president of the United States, or any committee organized in this state on behalf
7of and with the consent of such person, may submit to the board a petition to have
8the person's name appear on the presidential preference ballot. The petition may be
9circulated no sooner than the last 2nd Tuesday in January of December preceding
10such year and shall be signed by a number of qualified electors equal in each
11congressional district to not less than 1,000 signatures nor more than 1,500
12signatures. The form of the petition shall conform to the requirements of s. 8.40. All
13signers on each separate petition paper shall reside in the same congressional
14district.
AB548,4,2215 (d) The board shall forthwith contact each person whose name has been placed
16in nomination under par. (b) and notify him or her that his or her name will appear
17on the Wisconsin presidential preference ballot unless he or she files, no later than
185 p.m. on the 3rd first Tuesday in February January of such year, with the board, a
19disclaimer stating without qualification that he or she is not and does not intend to
20become a candidate for the office of president of the United States at the forthcoming
21presidential election. The disclaimer may be filed with the board by certified mail,
22telegram, or in person.
AB548,5,2 23(3) Reporting of results. No later than May 15 the 2nd Tuesday following the
24presidential preference vote primary, the board shall notify each state party

1organization chairperson under sub. (1) (b) of the results of the presidential
2preference vote cast primary within the state and within each congressional district.
AB548, s. 7 3Section 7. 10.06 (1) (e) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB548,5,124 10.06 (1) (e) As soon as possible following the state canvass of the spring
5primary vote, but no later than the first Tuesday in March, the board shall send a
6type B notice certifying to each county clerk the list of candidates for the spring
7election. When no state spring primary is held or when the only primary held is the
8presidential preference primary
, this notice shall be sent under par. (c). The board
9shall also in any case send a certified list of candidates under s. 11.50 to the state
10treasurer pursuant to s. 7.08 (2) (c). When there is a referendum, the board shall send
11type A and C notices certifying each question to the county clerks as soon as possible,
12but no later than the first Tuesday in March.
AB548, s. 8 13Section 8. 10.06 (2) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB548,5,2014 10.06 (2) (b) Upon receipt of the type B notice from the board preceding the
15spring election each county clerk shall add any county offices, prepare the ballots,
16and send notice to each municipal clerk of the coming spring primary. When there
17is no state spring primary within the county and there is no presidential preference
18primary scheduled for the date of the spring primary
, but there is to be a county
19spring primary, the county clerk shall prepare the ballots and send notice to each
20municipal clerk.
AB548, s. 9 21Section 9. 10.06 (2) (d) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB548,5,2522 10.06 (2) (d) On the Monday preceding the spring primary, when held, the
23county clerk shall publish a type B notice. In a year in which a presidential
24preference primary is held, the county clerk shall also publish notice of the
25presidential preference primary.
AB548, s. 10
1Section 10. 10.06 (2) (g) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB548,6,72 10.06 (2) (g) On the Monday preceding the spring election, the county clerk
3shall publish a type B notice containing the same information prescribed in par. (a).
4In those years in which a presidential preference primary is held, the county clerk
5shall also publish notice of the primary.
In addition, the county clerk shall publish
6a type C notice on the Monday preceding the spring election for all state and county
7referenda to be voted upon by electors of the county.
AB548, s. 11 8Section 11. Effective date.
AB548,6,99 (1) This act takes effect on June 1, 2002.
AB548,6,1010 (End)
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