January 2002 Special Session Date of enactment:
July 26, 2002
Assembly Bill 1 Date of publication*:
July 29, 2002
2001 WISCONSIN ACT 109
(Vetoed in Part)
An Act relating to: state finances and appropriations, correcting the imbalance between projected revenues and authorized expenditures, and diverse other matters.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:
109,1bc
Section 1bc. 5.02 (13) of the statutes is amended to read:
5.02 (13) "Political party" or "party" means a state committee registered under s. 11.05 and organized exclusively for political purposes under whose name candidates appear on a ballot at any election, and all county, congressional, legislative, local and other affiliated committees authorized to operate under the same name. For purposes of ch. 11, the term does not include a legislative campaign committee or a committee filing an oath under s. 11.06 (7).
109,1bf
Section 1bf. 5.05 (2) of the statutes is amended to read:
5.05 (2) Auditing. In addition to the facial examination of reports and statements required under s. 11.21 (13), the board shall conduct an audit of reports and statements which are required to be filed with it to determine whether violations of ch. 11 have occurred. The board may examine records relating to matters required to be treated in such reports and statements. The board shall make official note in the file of a candidate, committee, group or individual under ch. 11 of any error or other discrepancy which the board discovers and shall inform the person submitting the report or statement. The board may also examine all documentation that is required to be maintained by political parties that receive grants from the Wisconsin election campaign fund under s. 11.50 (2s).
109,1bg
Section 1bg. 5.86 of the statutes is amended to read:
5.86 Proceedings at central counting location locations. (1) All proceedings at the each central counting location shall be under the direction of the municipal clerk or an election official designated by the clerk unless the central counting location is at the county seat and the municipal clerk delegates the responsibility to supervise the location to the county clerk, in which case the proceedings shall be under the direction of the county clerk or an election official designated by the county clerk. Unless election officials are selected under s. 7.30 (4) (c) without regard to party affiliation, the employees at the each central counting location, other than any specially trained technicians who are required for the operation of the automatic tabulating equipment, shall be equally divided between members of the 2 major political parties under s. 7.30 (2) (a) and all duties performed by the employees shall be by teams consisting of an equal number of members of each political party whenever sufficient persons from each party are available.
(2) At the each central counting location, a team of election officials designated by the clerk or other election official having charge of the location under sub. (1) shall check the container returned containing the ballots to determine that all seals are intact, and thereupon shall open the container, check the inspectors' slip and compare the number of ballots so delivered against the total number of electors of each ward served by the polling place who voted, remove the ballots or record of the votes cast and deliver them to the technicians operating the automatic tabulating equipment. Any discrepancies between the number of ballots and total number of electors shall be noted on a sheet furnished for that purpose and signed by the election officials.
109,1bh
Section 1bh. 6.18 of the statutes is amended to read:
6.18 Former residents. If ineligible to qualify as an elector in the state to which the elector has moved, any former qualified Wisconsin elector may vote an absentee ballot in the ward of the elector's prior residence in any presidential election occurring within 24 months after leaving Wisconsin by requesting an application form and returning it, properly executed, to the municipal clerk of the elector's prior Wisconsin residence. When requesting an application form for an absentee ballot, the applicant shall specify the applicant's eligibility for only the presidential ballot. The application form shall require the following information and be in substantially the following form:
This blank shall be returned to the municipal clerk's office. Application must be received in sufficient time for ballots to be mailed and returned prior to any presidential election at which applicant wishes to vote. Complete all statements in full.
APPLICATION FOR PRESIDENTIAL
ELECTOR'S ABSENT BALLOT.
(To be voted at the Presidential Election
on November ...., .... (year)
I, .... hereby swear or affirm that I am a citizen of the United States, formerly residing at .... in the .... ward .... aldermanic district (city, town, village) of ...., County of .... for 10 days prior to leaving the State of Wisconsin. I, .... do solemnly swear or affirm that I do not qualify to register or vote under the laws of the State of ....(State you now reside in) where I am presently residing. A citizen must be a resident of: State ....(Insert time) County ....(Insert time) City, Town or Village ....(Insert time), in order to be eligible to register or vote therein. I further swear or affirm that my legal residence was established in the State of ....(the State where you now reside) on .... Month .... Day .... Year.
Signed ....
Address ....(Present address)
....(City) ....(State)
Subscribed and sworn to before me this .... day of .... .... (year)
....(Notary Public, or other officer authorized to administer oaths.)
....(County)
My Commission expires
MAIL BALLOT TO:
NAME ....
ADDRESS ....
CITY .... STATE .... ZIP CODE ....
Penalties for Violations. Whoever swears falsely to any absent elector affidavit under this section may be fined not more than $1,000 or imprisoned for not more than 6 months, or both. Whoever intentionally votes more than once in an election may be fined not more than $10,000 or imprisoned for not more than 3 years, and 6 months or both.
....(Municipal Clerk)
....(Municipality)
109,1pc
Section 1pc. 6.87 (2) (form) of the statutes is amended to read:
6.87 (2) (form)
[STATE OF ....
County of ....]
or
[(name of foreign country and city or other jurisdictional unit)]
I, ...., certify subject to the penalties of s. 12.60 (1) (b), Wis. Stats., for false statements, that I am a resident of the [.... ward of the] (town) (village) of ...., or of the .... aldermanic district in the city of ...., residing at ....* in said city, the county of ...., state of Wisconsin, and am entitled to vote in the (ward) (election district) at the election to be held on ....; that I am not voting at any other location in this election; that I am unable or unwilling to appear at the polling place in the (ward) (election district) on election day or have changed my residence within the state from one ward or election district to another within 10 days before the election. An elector who provides an identification serial number issued under s. 6.47 (3) need not provide a street address. I certify that I exhibited the enclosed ballot unmarked to the witness, that I then in (his) (her) presence and in the presence of no other person marked the ballot and enclosed and sealed the same in this envelope in such a manner that no one but myself and any person rendering assistance under s. 6.87 (5), Wis. Stats., if I requested assistance, could know how I voted.
Signed ....
Identification serial number, if any: ....
The witness shall execute the following:
I, the undersigned witness, subject to the penalties of s. 12.60 (1) (b), Wis. Stats., for false statements, certify that the above statements are true and the voting procedure was executed as there stated. I am not a candidate for any office on the enclosed ballot (except in the case of an incumbent municipal clerk). I did not solicit or advise the elector to vote for or against any candidate or measure.
....(Name)
....(Address)**
* — An elector who provides an identification serial number issued under s. 6.47 (3), Wis. Stats., need not provide a street address.
** — If this form is executed before 2 special voting deputies under s. 6.875 (6), Wis. Stats., both deputies shall witness and sign.
109,1pe
Section 1pe. 6.875 (1) (at) of the statutes is amended to read:
6.875 (1) (at) "Qualified retirement home" means a retirement home that qualifies under sub. (2) (b)
(c) to utilize the procedures under this section.
109,1pg
Section 1pg. 6.875 (2) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:
6.875 (2) (a) The procedures prescribed in this section are the exclusive means of absentee voting for electors who are occupants of nursing homes or, qualified community-based residential facilities or qualified retirement homes.
6.875 (6) Special voting deputies in each municipality shall, not later than 5 p.m. on the Friday preceding an election, arrange one or more convenient times with the administrator of each nursing home or, qualified retirement home, and qualified community-based residential facility in the municipality from which one or more occupants have filed an application under s. 6.86 to conduct absentee voting for the election. The time may be no earlier than the 4th Monday preceding the election and no later than 5 p.m. on the Monday preceding the election. Upon request of a relative of an occupant of a nursing home or qualified retirement home or qualified community-based residential facility, the administrator may notify the relative of the time or times at which special voting deputies will conduct absentee voting at the home or facility, and permit the relative to be present in the room where the voting is conducted. At the designated time, 2 deputies appointed under sub. (4) shall visit the nursing home or qualified retirement home or qualified community-based residential facility. The municipal clerk or executive director of the board of election commissioners shall issue a supply of absentee ballots to the deputies sufficient to provide for the number of valid applications received by the clerk, and a reasonable additional number of ballots. The municipal clerk or executive director shall keep a careful record of all ballots issued to the deputies and shall require the deputies to return every ballot issued to them. The deputies shall personally offer each elector who has filed a proper application the opportunity to cast his or her absentee ballot. If an elector is present who has not filed a proper application, the 2 deputies may accept an application from the elector and shall issue a ballot to the elector if the elector is qualified and the application is proper. The deputies shall administer each witness the
oath certification and may, upon request of the elector, assist the elector in marking the elector's ballot. Upon request of the elector, a relative of the elector who is present in the room may assist the elector in marking the elector's ballot. All voting shall be conducted in the presence of the deputies. No individual other than a deputy may administer witness the oath certification and no individual other than a deputy or relative of an elector may render voting assistance to the elector. Upon completion of the voting, the deputies shall promptly deliver, either personally or by 1st class mail, any absentee ballot applications and the sealed certificate envelope containing each ballot to the clerk or board of election commissioners of the municipality in which the elector casting the ballot resides, within such time as will permit delivery to the polling place serving the elector's residence on election day. Personal delivery may be made by the deputies no later than noon on election day. If a qualified elector is not able to cast his or her ballot on 2 separate visits by the deputies to the nursing home or qualified retirement home facility, they shall so inform the municipal clerk or executive director of the board of election commissioners, who may then send the ballot to the elector no later than 5 p.m. on the Friday preceding the election.
109,1pL
Section 1pL. 6.88 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:
6.88 (1) When an absentee ballot arrives at the office of the municipal clerk, the clerk shall enclose it, unopened, in a carrier envelope which shall be securely sealed and endorsed with the name and official title of the clerk, and the words "This envelope contains the ballot of an absent elector and must be opened at the polls during polling hours on election day". If the ballot was received by the elector by facsimile transmission or electronic mail and is accompanied by a separate certificate, the clerk shall enclose the ballot in a certificate envelope and securely append the completed certificate to the outside of the envelope before enclosing the ballot in the carrier envelope. The clerk shall keep the ballot in the clerk's office until delivered, as required in sub. (2).
109,1pn
Section 1pn. 6.92 of the statutes is renumbered 6.92 (1) and amended to read:
