LRB-4546/1
JTK/RJM:kmg:ch
1999 - 2000 LEGISLATURE
February 10, 2000 - Printed by direction of Senate Chief Clerk.
AB700-engrossed,3,2 1An Act to repeal 5.25 (4) (b), 5.35 (6) (a) 4., 5.55 (form), 5.58 (2) (b), 5.60 (8) (a)
21., 2. and 3., 5.64 (1) (c), 5.64 (2) (a) and (b), 5.64 (3) (intro.), 6.30 (2) and (3), 6.865
3(2), 7.30 (4) (cm), 7.30 (4) (cn), 7.38 (title) and (1), 7.39, 8.17 (2), (3) and (4) (a)
4and (b) and 9.10 (2) (em) 3.; to renumber and amend 5.55 (intro.), 5.58 (2) (a),
55.60 (8) (a) (intro.), 5.62 (1) (b), 5.62 (2), 5.64 (1) (e), 5.64 (2) (intro.), 5.64 (3) (a),
65.64 (3) (b), 7.38 (3) and 8.17 (4) (c); to consolidate, renumber and amend
76.865 (intro.) and (1); to amend 5.01 (4) (a), 5.05 (1) (e), 5.15 (6) (b), 5.25 (1), 5.35
8(4), 5.35 (6) (b), 5.37 (3), 5.53 (2), 5.58 (intro.), 5.58 (1) (intro.), 5.58 (1c), 5.58 (1g)
9(a), 5.58 (1g) (b), 5.58 (1r), 5.58 (2m), 5.60 (intro.), 5.60 (1) (intro.), 5.60 (1) (b),
105.60 (2), 5.60 (3) (intro.), 5.60 (4) (a) and (b), 5.60 (4m), 5.60 (5) (intro.), 5.60 (5)
11(a), 5.60 (6) (a), 5.60 (6m) and (7), 5.60 (8) (intro.), 5.62 (1) (a), 5.62 (5), 5.64 (1)
12(intro.), 5.64 (1) (a), 5.64 (1) (b), 5.64 (1) (d), 5.64 (1) (f), 5.64 (2) (c), 5.65, 5.68
13(5), 5.81 (1), 5.81 (2), 6.15 (3) (b), 6.22 (4), 6.22 (5), 6.24 (1) and (2), 6.24 (3), 6.24
14(3), 6.24 (4) (c), 6.24 (4) (d), 6.24 (5), 6.24 (6), 6.275 (1) (c), 6.28 (1), 6.29 (1), 6.29

1(2) (b), 6.29 (2) (c), 6.30 (1), 6.30 (4), 6.33 (2) (b), 6.45 (1), 6.79 (intro.), 6.79 (1)
2and (2), 6.79 (5), 6.80 (2) (e) and (f), 6.86 (1) (b), 6.86 (3) (a), 6.87 (2) (intro.), 6.87
3(3) (a), 6.87 (4), 6.875 (2) (b), 6.875 (2) (c), 6.875 (4), 6.875 (6), 6.88 (1), 6.88 (2),
46.88 (3) (b), 6.95, chapter 7 (title), 7.08 (1) (c), 7.08 (2) (a), 7.10 (2), 7.15 (1) (cm),
57.30 (2) (a), 7.30 (4) (b) 1., 7.30 (4) (b) 2., 7.37 (6), 7.41 (1), 7.53 (3) (a), 7.60 (2),
67.60 (4) (a), 7.60 (4) (b), 7.60 (5), 7.60 (6), 7.70 (3) (a), 7.70 (3) (b), 7.70 (3) (c), 7.70
7(3) (d), 7.70 (3) (e) (intro.), 7.70 (3) (g), 7.70 (3) (h), 7.70 (3) (i), 7.70 (5) (a), 8.05
8(1) (j), 8.05 (3) (b), 8.05 (3) (d) and (e), 8.05 (5), 8.10 (3) (intro.), 8.10 (6) (a), 8.12
9(2), 8.15 (4) (a), 8.17 (1) (a), 8.17 (5) (b), 8.20 (3), 8.20 (9), 8.21, 8.35 (2) (a), 8.35
10(2) (d), 8.40 (2), 8.50 (1) (a), 8.50 (1) (b), 8.50 (4) (fm), 9.01 (1) (a), 9.01 (1) (ar)
113., 9.01 (1) (b) 2., 9.01 (2), 9.01 (5) (a), 9.01 (5) (c), 9.01 (6) (a), 9.01 (7), 9.01 (8),
129.10 (2) (em) 1., 9.10 (2) (n), 9.10 (2) (r) 4., 10.02 (3) (b) 1., 10.02 (3) (b) 2., 10.02
13(3) (b) 2m., 10.02 (3) (b) 3. and 4., (c) and (d), 10.06 (2) (h), 10.06 (4) (i), 11.02 (3),
1411.03 (1), 11.60 (4) and (5), 13.123 (3) (b) 2., 24.66 (4), 32.72 (1), 38.08 (1) (a) 1.,
1559.05 (2), 59.08 (7) (b), 60.62 (2), 60.74 (5) (b), 60.785 (2) (a), 61.187 (1), 61.46
16(1), 62.13 (6) (b), 64.39 (2), 66.021 (5) (a), 66.022 (3), 66.023 (4) (e) 1. and 2.,
1766.024 (4) (a) and (b), 66.027, 66.028 (6) (a) and (b), 66.059 (2m) (b), 66.061 (1)
18(c), 66.061 (1) (c), 66.075 (5), 66.521 (10) (d), 66.77 (3) (a) 1., 66.94 (4), 67.12 (12)
19(e) 6., 81.01 (3) (b), 86.21 (2) (a), 92.11 (4) (c), 119.48 (4) (c), 119.49 (2), 120.06
20(6) (b), 121.91 (3) (a), 125.05 (1) (b) 5., 197.04 (1) (b), 197.10 (2), 227.52 (6), 755.01
21(4) and 778.135; to repeal and recreate 6.22 (2) (b); and to create 5.25 (4) (d),
225.51 (8), 5.62 (1) (b) 2., 5.62 (2) (b), 5.64 (1) (e) 2., 5.64 (1) (eg), 5.655, 6.87 (3) (d),
237.10 (6), 7.21 (2m), 8.10 (6) (bm), 8.17 (5) (bm), 8.37, 9.01 (5) (bm), 11.02 (3e) and

167.05 (3) (am) of the statutes; relating to: various changes in the election laws;
2requiring a referendum; and providing penalties.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
Engrossment information:
The text of Engrossed 1999 Assembly Bill 700 consists of the bill as passed by
the assembly on February 9, 2000, as affected by the following documents adopted
in the assembly on February 9, 2000: Assembly Amendment 1 and Assembly
Amendment 2. The text also includes the February 17, 2000, chief clerk's correction
to Assembly Amendment 2 and the February 23, 2000, chief clerk's correction to 1999
Assembly Bill 700.
Content of Engrossed 1999 Assembly Bill 700:
This bill makes various changes in election laws. Significant provisions
include:
I. REGISTRATION AND VOTER PARTICIPATION
Transmittal of absentee ballots by facsimile transmission or electronic mail
Currently, when an elector who qualifies for an absentee ballot makes a proper
written application for a ballot, the municipal clerk mails a ballot to the elector,
together with a certificate-affidavit envelope. The elector then casts the ballot,
encloses the ballot in the certificate-affidavit envelope, signs the
certificate-affidavit and mails the envelope to the municipal clerk of the
municipality who sent the ballot to the elector.
This bill permits the municipal clerk of any municipality to send an absentee
ballot to an elector who files a valid application for the ballot by means of facsimile
transmission or electronic mail, unless the municipality uses an electronic voting
system that requires an elector to punch a ballot in order to cast the elector's votes.
The absentee ballot must be accompanied by a copy of the text of a certificate or
affidavit, together with instructions prescribed by the elections board. The elector
must then enclose the ballot in an envelope that is in turn enclosed in a larger
envelope containing the certificate or affidavit, subscribe to the certificate or
affidavit and mail the larger envelope to the municipal clerk with postage prepaid.
Substantiation of voter registration information
Currently, when an elector registers by mail before election day, the elector's
registration form must be substantiated by a special voter registration deputy or by
another elector who resides in the same municipality where the registering elector
resides, substantiating all material statements on the registration form.
This bill deletes this requirement.

Late voter registration
Under current law, the deadline for voter registration is 5 p.m. on the second
Wednesday preceding the election. Registrations made by mail must be delivered to
the office of the municipal clerk or board of election commissioners or postmarked not
later than the second Wednesday preceding the election. Voters may register after
this deadline in person at the office of the municipal clerk or board of election
commissioners or at the proper polling place on election day.
This bill authorizes a municipal clerk to accept a registration in any manner
after the second Wednesday preceding an election, if the clerk determines that the
registration list can be revised to incorporate the registration in time for the election
without creating a secondary registration list or separate registration material to
accommodate the late registrant.
Location of polling places
Under current law, the governing body of a city, village or town establishes
polling places, except that the city board of election commissioners establishes
polling places in cities with a population of over 500,000 (currently, only Milwaukee).
So far as practicable, the places chosen must be public buildings.
This bill permits the authority charged with establishing polling places to
choose a nonpublic building for this purpose if use of a public building is
impracticable, as under current law, or if use of a nonpublic building better serves
the needs of the electorate.
Report on impediments to voting
Under current federal and state law, all polling places, with limited exceptions,
must be accessible to handicapped and elderly voters. Until 1994, federal law also
required the chief election officer of each state to report to the federal election
commission every two years the number of accessible and inaccessible polling places
in the state and the reasons for any instances of inaccessibility. State law requires
the executive director of the state elections board to transmit a copy of each such
report to the legislature. Federal law, however, no longer requires this report.
This bill deletes the current reporting requirements and instead requires the
state elections board to submit a biennial report on the impediments faced by elderly
and handicapped voters in the state to each house of the legislature for distribution
to the appropriate standing committees.
Voting by children of overseas electors
Under current law, the adult dependent children of members of the armed
forces and merchant marine, federal employes and peace corps volunteers who are
stationed abroad may vote in elections in this state in the ward or election district
where the parent who provides support for the children is entitled to vote.

This bill extends the privilege of voting, in federal elections only, to the adult
citizen children of other U.S. citizens who are residing overseas, subject to approval
at a statewide referendum to be held in November 2000.
Depositing ballots into ballot boxes
Generally, under current law, when an elector has completed voting his or her
ballot, the elector may either deposit the ballot into the ballot box or deliver it to an
election inspector for deposit into the ballot box. However, in certain situations,
electors are not given such an option. For example, persons otherwise qualified to
vote, but who have not resided in the state for ten days prior to the date of the
presidential election, may vote for president but the statutes provide that such
electors' ballots must be given to an election inspector who must deposit the ballots
into the ballot box. Conversely, at partisan primaries and the presidential preference
primary when paper ballots are distributed to electors, the statutes provide that an
elector must place the ballot into the appropriate ballot box and do not provide the
option for an inspector to deposit the ballot.
This bill amends current law to provide specifically that, in these situations, the
ballots may be either deposited directly into the ballot box by the electors or given
to the inspector who must deposit them into the ballot box.
II. ROLE OF POLITICAL PARTIES AND CANDIDATES
Election of committeemen or committeewomen
Under current law, political parties qualifying for separate ballot status elect
their party committeemen or committeewomen at the September primary. The
function of committeemen and committeewomen is to represent their neighborhoods
in the structure of the political parties and to serve as liaisons between their party
and the residents of their election districts.
This bill requires that political party committeemen or committeewomen be
selected by a vote of the county political party members in good standing at a meeting
held after the September primary but before April 1 of the following year.
Observation at polling places
Currently, political party committeemen and committeewomen may appoint
official observers to observe proceedings at polling places. Candidates at partisan
primary elections, as well as independent and nonpartisan candidates, and groups
seeking to influence voting at referenda may similarly appoint official observers.
Official observers are issued permits by the appropriate municipal clerk or board of
election commissioners. In addition, under current law, any person other than a
candidate may be present at a polling place for purposes of observation, provided that
the person is not disruptive and does not engage in electioneering.
This bill discontinues appointment of official observers, but retains the right of
persons other than candidates to observe proceedings at polling places. The bill also
permits the chief inspector (poll worker) at each polling place to reasonably limit the

number of persons representing the same organization who are permitted to observe
at the polling place at the same time.
Presidential ballots
Current law requires a separate ballot when the president and vice president
of the United States are to be elected.
This bill eliminates that requirement and requires instead that the names of
candidates for president and vice president be placed on the official general election
ballot in a manner that will allow electors to vote for a political party's candidates
for president and vice president by voting a straight party ticket.
Partisan primary and election ballots
Under current law, every recognized political party listed on the official ballot
at the last gubernatorial election whose candidate for any statewide office received
at least 1% of the total votes cast for that office and, if the last general election was
also a presidential election, every recognized political party listed on the ballot at
that election whose candidate for president received at least 1% of the total votes cast
for that office is entitled to a separate primary ballot or one or more separate columns
or rows on the September primary ballot. In addition, at least one candidate of the
party for a state office must have qualified to have his or her name appear on the
ballot under the name of the party at the last gubernatorial election.
This bill imposes an additional requirement that, at each election, within each
assembly district or county, the party have at least one candidate for any national,
state or county office listed on the ballot. If a party that qualifies for a separate ballot,
column or row under current law does not qualify for a separate ballot, column or row
under the bill, the bill requires that a separate ballot, column or row be provided
instead that must contain a place for casting a vote for a write-in candidate of each
party that qualifies under current law for a separate ballot, column or row for each
office, but that no longer qualifies for a separate ballot, column or row under the bill.
III. elections administration
Electronic poll lists
Under current law, election officials at each election ward must maintain two
separate lists of all persons voting. This bill authorizes those lists to be maintained
in an electronic format approved by the elections board or its executive director.
Reporting election returns by ward
Current law authorizes the governing body of a municipality to combine two or
more wards for voting purposes to facilitate using a common polling place. However,
with certain exceptions, every municipality having a population of 35,000 or more
is required to maintain separate election returns for each ward so combined. This
bill changes the population threshold so that only municipalities with a population

of 50,000 or more are required to maintain separate election returns for each ward
so combined.
Affidavits relating to nomination papers and petitions
Under current law, the circulator of a nomination paper or other
election-related petition must make, under oath, an affidavit attesting to certain
information including the fact that he or she personally circulated the nomination
paper or petition, personally obtained each signature and knows the respective
residences of each signer. A circulator falsifying this information may be fined not
more than $10,000 or imprisoned for not more than three years, or both, under the
election laws. The person may also be subject to a fine of not more than $10,000 or
imprisonment not to exceed five years, or both, for false swearing.
This bill deletes the requirement that circulators of nomination papers or
election-related petitions make an affidavit under oath. Instead, the bill requires
circulators to certify all of the information currently required in the affidavit, subject
to the same penalties under the election laws. However, under the bill, falsifying the
information in the circulator's certification does not subject a person to the penalties
for false swearing.
Canvass of elections by designees
Currently, the chairperson of the elections board canvasses the returns of
elections for state and national office and statewide referenda and determines the
results. This bill permits the chairperson to appoint another person to canvass a
specific election. The designee of the chairperson then carries out the duties of the
chairperson for that election only.
Under current law, the county board of canvassers is composed of the county
clerk and two qualified electors of the county appointed by the clerk. If the county
clerk's office is vacant, if the clerk cannot perform his or her duties or if the clerk is
a candidate for an office to be canvassed by the board, the county executive or the
chairperson of the county board of supervisors, if there is no executive, must
designate another qualified elector of the county to perform the clerk's duties. Also
under current law, every county clerk is required to appoint one or more deputies.
This bill provides that, if a county clerk's office is vacant, if the clerk cannot
perform his or her duties or if the clerk is a candidate at an election being canvassed,
the county clerk shall designate a deputy clerk to perform his or her duties. Under
the bill, if the county clerk and the designated deputy clerk are both unable to
perform their duties, the county executive or chairperson of the county board of
supervisors designates another qualified elector to serve, as currently provided.
Administration of elections for joint municipal judges
Under current law, municipalities may enter into an agreement to establish a
joint municipal court. In such cases, candidates for municipal judge file nomination
papers with the elections board and their elections are certified by the board of state
canvassers.
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