12.035 Posting and distribution of election-related material. (1) In this section, "election-related material" means any written matter which describes, or purports to describe, the rights or responsibilities of individuals voting or registering to vote at a polling place or voting an absentee ballot at the office of the municipal clerk or an alternate site under s. 6.855.
(2) The legislature finds that posting or distributing election-related material at the polling place, at locations where absentee ballots may be cast, or near the entrance to such locations when voting is taking place may mislead and confuse electors about their rights and responsibilities regarding the exercise of the franchise and tends to disrupt the flow of voting activities at such locations. The legislature finds that the restrictions imposed by this section on the posting or distribution of election-related material are necessary to protect the compelling governmental interest in orderly and fair elections.
(3) (a) No person may post or distribute any election-related material during polling hours on election day at a polling place.
(b) No person may post or distribute any election-related material during polling hours on any public property on election day within 100 feet of an entrance to a building containing a polling place.
(c) No person may post or distribute any election-related material at the office of the municipal clerk or at an alternate site under s. 6.855 during hours that absentee ballots may be cast.
(d) No person may post or distribute election-related material during the hours that absentee ballots may be cast on any public property within 100 feet of an entrance to a building containing the office of the municipal clerk or an alternate site under s. 6.855.
(4) Subsection (3) does not apply to any of the following:
(a) The posting or distribution of election-related material posted or distributed by the municipal clerk or other election officials.
(b) The placement of any material on the bumper of a motor vehicle located on public property.
(5) A municipal clerk, election inspector, or law enforcement officer may remove election-related material posted in violation of sub. (3) and may confiscate election-related material distributed in violation of sub. (3).
451,164
Section
164. 12.04 (2) of the statutes is amended to read:
12.04 (2) Except as provided in s. ss. 12.03 or 12.035 or as restricted under sub. (4), any individual may place a sign containing a political message upon residential property owned or occupied by that individual during an election campaign period.
451,165
Section
165. 12.07 (2) of the statutes is amended to read:
12.07 (2) No employer may refuse to allow an employee to serve as an election official under s. 7.30 or make any threats or offer any inducements of any kind to the employee for the purpose of preventing the employee from so serving.
451,166
Section
166. 12.09 of the statutes is repealed and recreated to read:
12.09 Election threats. (1) No person may personally or through an agent make use of or threaten to make use of force, violence, or restraint in order to induce or compel any person to vote or refrain from voting at an election.
(2) No person may personally or through an agent, by abduction, duress, or any fraudulent device or contrivance, impede or prevent the free exercise of the franchise at an election.
(3) No person may personally or through an agent, by any act compel, induce, or prevail upon an elector either to vote or refrain from voting at any election for or against a particular candidate or referendum.
451,167
Section
167. 12.13 (3) (ze) of the statutes is created to read:
12.13 (3) (ze) Compensate a person who obtains voter registration forms from other persons at a rate that varies in relation to the number of voter registrations obtained by the person.
451,168
Section
168
. 12.13 (4) of the statutes is repealed.
451,169
Section
169. 12.60 (1) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:
12.60 (1) (b) Whoever violates s. 12.03, 12.05, 12.07, 12.08 or 12.13 (2) (b) 8., (3) (b), (c), (d), (g), (i), (n) to (x), (ze), (zm) or (zn) may be fined not more than $1,000, or imprisoned not more than 6 months or both.
451,170
Section
170
. 12.60 (1) (c) of the statutes is amended to read:
12.60 (1) (c) Whoever violates s. 12.13 (3) (am) or (4) may be required to forfeit not more than $500.
451,171
Section
171
. 12.60 (1) (d) of the statutes is amended to read:
12.60 (1) (d) Whoever violates s. 12.035 or 12.13 (3) (h) may be required to forfeit not more than $100.
451,172
Section
172. 17.29 of the statutes is amended to read:
17.29 Effect of chapter. The provisions of this chapter supersede all contrary provisions in either the general law or in special acts, except ch. 7 ss. 6.26 (2) (b), 6.28 (2) (b), 6.55 (6), 6.875, and 7.30 relating to appointed election officers appointed for the election wards or polling places in the state officials and ch. 21 relating to the military staff of the governor and to officers of the Wisconsin national guard; and shall govern all offices whether created by general law or special act, unless otherwise specially provided.
451,173
Section
173. 301.03 (3a) of the statutes is created to read:
301.03 (3a) Subject to all of the following, design a form to provide notice under ss. 302.117, 973.09 (4m), and 973.176 (2) of ineligibility to vote under s. 6.03 (1) (b):
(a) The form shall inform the person who is ineligible to vote that he or she may not vote in any election until his or her civil rights are restored.
(b) The form shall inform the person who is ineligible to vote when his or her civil rights are expected to be restored.
(c) The form shall include a place for the person to sign indicating that he or she understands that he or she may not vote in any election until his or her civil rights are restored. The form shall include a place also for a witness signature.
(d) The department shall retain the form, and a copy shall be given to the person.
451,174
Section
174. 301.03 (20) of the statutes is created to read:
301.03 (20) Transmit to the elections board, on a continuous basis, a list containing the name of each living person who has been convicted of a felony under the laws of this state and whose civil rights have not been restored, together with his or her residential address and the date on which the department expects his or her civil rights to be restored.
451,175
Section
175. 302.117 of the statutes is amended to read:
302.117 Notice regarding ineligibility to vote. When an inmate who is disqualified from voting under s. 6.03 (1) (b) is released to parole or extended supervision, the department shall inform the person in writing that he or she may not vote in any election until his or her civil rights are restored. The department shall use the form designed under s. 301.03 (3a) to inform the person, and the person and a witness shall sign the form.
451,176
Section
176. 343.11 (2m) of the statutes is created to read:
343.11 (2m) Within 30 days following surrender of a license under sub. (1), the department shall provide notice to the elections board of the person's name and address, the name of the jurisdiction issuing the surrendered license, and the date on which the license was surrendered.
451,177
Section
177. 880.33 (9) of the statutes is amended to read:
880.33 (9) All the rights and privileges afforded a proposed incompetent under this section shall be given to any person who is alleged to be ineligible to register to vote or to vote in an election by reason that such person is incapable of understanding the objective of the elective process. The determination of the court shall be limited to a finding that the elector is either eligible or ineligible to register to vote or to vote in an election by reason that the person is or is not capable of understanding the objective of the elective process. The determination of the court shall be communicated in writing by the clerk of court to the election official or agency charged under s. 6.48, 6.92, 6.925 or, 6.93, or 7.52 (5) with the responsibility for determining challenges to registration and voting which may be directed against that elector. The determination may be reviewed as provided in s. 880.34 (4) and (5) and any subsequent determination of the court shall be likewise communicated by the clerk of court.
451,178
Section
178. 973.09 (4m) of the statutes is amended to read:
973.09 (4m) The department shall inform each probationer who is disqualified from voting under s. 6.03 (1) (b) that he or she may not vote in any election until his or her civil rights are restored. The department shall use the form designed under s. 301.03 (3a) to inform the probationer, and the probationer and a witness shall sign the form.
451,179
Section
179. 973.176 (2) of the statutes is amended to read:
973.176 (2) Voting. Whenever a court imposes a sentence or places a defendant on probation for a conviction that disqualifies the defendant from voting under s. 6.03 (1) (b), the court shall inform the defendant in writing that he or she may not vote in any election until his or her civil rights are restored. The court shall use the form designed by the department of corrections under s. 301.03 (3a) to inform the defendant, and the defendant and a witness shall sign the form.
451,180
Section
180.
Nonstatutory provisions.
(1) Election-related contingency planning. The elections board shall prepare a report and recommendations with regard to state and local election-related contingency planning efforts and preparedness regarding natural disasters or terrorist activities that may occur at or near election time. No later than the first day of the 7th month beginning after publication of this act, the elections board shall submit the report and recommendations to the chief clerk of each house of the legislature for distribution to the appropriate standing committees of the legislature in the manner provided under section 13.172 (3) of the statutes.
(2) Audits of local election practices. The elections board shall prepare recommendations with regard to random post-election audits of local election practices to be conducted in the fall of odd-numbered years. The recommendations shall include recommendations on how election practices in a given municipality may be reviewed by election officials of other, similar-sized municipalities and how the state will fund such audits. No later than December 31, 2006, the elections board shall submit the recommendations to the chief clerk of each house of the legislature for distribution to the appropriate standing committees of the legislature in the manner provided under s. 13.172 (3) of the statutes.
(4) Fees for copies of registration list. The elections board may promulgate emergency rules under section 227.24 of the statutes implementing section 6.36 (6) of the statutes, as created by this act. Notwithstanding section 227.24 (1) (c) and (2) of the statutes, emergency rules promulgated under this subsection remain in effect until the date on which permanent rules take effect. Notwithstanding section 227.24 (1) (a) and (3) of the statutes, the elections board is not required to provide evidence that promulgating a rule under this subsection as an emergency rule is necessary for the preservation of public peace, health, safety, or welfare and is not required to provide a finding of emergency for a rule promulgated under this subsection.
(5) Election officials; interim terms. Notwithstanding section 7.30 (6) (a) of the statutes, as affected by this act, the persons who are appointed as election officials under section 7.30 (4) of the statutes in 2006 shall serve for terms of one year and until their successors are appointed and qualified.
(6) Distribution of forms to convicted felons. No later than the first day of the 6th month beginning after the effective date of this subsection, the department of corrections shall distribute, and have signed in front of a witness, a copy of the form designed under section 301.03 (3a) of the statutes, as created by this act, to each person who is on probation, parole, or extended supervision on that date and who is disqualified from voting in any election under section 6.03 (1) (b) of the statutes.
451,181
Section
181
.
Initial applicability.
(1) Notice of school district referenda. The treatment of section 8.37 of the statutes first applies to a measure or question that becomes subject to a filing requirement under section 8.37 of the statutes on the effective date of this subsection.
(2) Recounts. The treatment of section 9.01 (1) (b) 8s. of the statutes, the renumbering and amendment of section 5.90 of the statutes, and the creation of section 5.90 (2) and (3) of the statutes by this act first apply to recount petitions filed on the effective date of this subsection.
(3) Terms of certain poll workers. The treatment of sections 7.30 (2) (am), (6) (a), and (6) (am) of the statutes first applies to appointments made on the effective date of this subsection.
(4m) Petitions for recall. The treatment of section 9.10 (1) (b) and (c) 2. and (2) (d) first applies with respect to petitions for recall that are initially circulated on the effective date of this subsection.
(5) Circulators of nomination papers and petitions. The treatment of sections 5.02 (16g), 8.10 (3) (intro.), 8.15 (4) (a), 8.20 (3), 8.40 (2), and 9.10 (2) (em) 2. of the statutes first applies with respect to nomination paper circulation periods that begin and petitions that are initially circulated on the effective date of this subsection.
(6)
Notification regarding ineligibility to vote during parole or extended supervision. The treatment of section 302.117 of the statutes first applies to persons whom the department of corrections releases to parole or extended supervision on the effective date of this subsection.
(7)
Notification regarding ineligibility to vote during probation. The treatment of section 973.09 (4m) of the statutes first applies to persons whom the court places on probation on the effective date of this subsection.
(8)
Notification at sentencing regarding ineligibility to vote. The treatment of section 973.176 (2) of the statutes first applies to persons who are sentenced or placed on probation on the effective date of this subsection.
(9) Election official training. The treatment of sections 7.15 (1m), 7.30 (2) (c), 7.31 (1) and (4), and 7.315 (1) (b) of the statutes first applies with respect to elections held in 2008.
451,182
Section
182.
Effective date.
(1) This act takes effect on July 1, 2006, or on the day after publication, whichever is later.
