SB612: Bill Text

The bill eliminates the minimum GPA requirement and instead authorizes school boards to develop criteria for approving students to serve as poll workers. The bill also modifies the term of service of a high school pupil appointed to serve as an inspector. Under the bill, a high school pupil is appointed for one election only rather than for 2 years. The bill does not prohibit such a pupil from being appointed to serve at future elections.

Poll Closing Procedures When Voters Waiting to Vote

Under current law, any elector waiting to vote, whether within the polling booth or in the line outside the booth at the time the polls officially close must be permitted to vote.

The bill requires each municipal clerk to designate an official of the municipality who must position himself or herself at the end of the line of individuals waiting to vote at the time the polls officially close as a way to mark the end of the line. The bill provides that the official may be a poll worker at the polling place, an employee of the municipal clerk, or a police officer.

Conduct of Election Observers

Under current law, any member of the public may be present at any polling place for the purpose of observing an election, except a candidate at that election. The chief inspector at the polling place is authorized to "reasonably limit" the number of persons representing the same organization who are permitted to observe an election at the same time. In addition, the chief inspector is authorized to restrict the location of observers to certain areas at a polling place. Such an area is to be clearly designated as an observation area. Observation areas must be positioned to allow observers to readily observe all public aspects of the voting process. The statutes authorize a chief inspector to order the removal from a polling place of any observer who commits an overt act which disrupts the operation of the polling place or who engages in electioneering.

Under the statutes, an observer may not view the confidential portion of a registration list relating to an individual who has obtained a confidential listing based on domestic abuse. However, the poll workers must disclose to an observer, upon request, the existence of such a list, the number of electors whose names appear on the list, and the number of those electors who have voted at any point during the election. In addition, an observer may not view the certificate of an absent elector who has obtained such a confidential listing.

Currently, any person who refuses to obey a lawful order of a poll worker made for the purpose of enforcing the election laws, who engages in disorderly behavior at or near a polling place, or who interrupts or disturbs the voting or canvassing proceedings may be fined not more than $1,000, or imprisoned for not more than 6 months, or both.

The bill directs the elections board to promulgate rules regarding the proper conduct of observers at polling places, municipal clerk's offices, or alternate absentee ballot sites, including the interaction of observers with election officials at polling places. The bill requires the rules to be submitted to the legislative council staff for review by the 60th day beginning after publication of the bill as an act.

Proof of Residence Required of Certain Voters

Under current law, effective January 1, 2006, a person, other than a military elector or an overseas elector, who registers to vote by mail and who has not previously voted in an election for national office in Wisconsin must provide identification, as specified by law, before being allowed to vote at an election for national office. A person who is required to provide identification before voting but who fails to do so may cast a provisional ballot which may be counted if the person subsequently presents identification before 4 p.m. on the day after the election.

The bill creates a proof of residence requirement applicable to all persons other than military or overseas electors who register to vote by mail and have not voted in an election in this state.

Election Threats

Current law, in s. 12.09 of the statutes, prevents the making of various election threats. Violations of that section are punishable as a Class I felony (a fine not to exceed $10,000 or imprisonment not to exceed 3 years and 6 months, or both).

Presently, s. 12.09, stats., is drafted as one paragraph consisting of 3 distinct components, each of which prohibits different conduct. The provision reads as follows:

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; or, by abduction, duress or any fraudulent device or contrivance, impede or prevent the free exercise of the franchise at an election; or 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.

The bill, in order to improve the readability of the provision, repeals the provision and recreates it with 3 distinct subsections. The bill makes no substantive changes to the law and violations would still be subject to the same penalties as provided under current law.

Prohibition on Certain Election-Related Material

Current law defines "electioneering" as any activity which is intended to influence voting at an election. Under current law, "electioneering" is prohibited at or near the entrances to polling places on election day. Specifically, the law prohibits an election official from engaging in "electioneering" on election day. In addition, the law prohibits any person from engaging in "electioneering" during polling hours on any public property on election day within 100 feet of an entrance to a building containing a polling place. This restriction, though, does not apply to the placement of any material on the bumper of a motor vehicle that is located on such property on election day. A municipal clerk, poll worker, or law enforcement officer is authorized to remove posters or other advertising that violates the prohibitions on "electioneering".

Persons who violate the above prohibitions on electioneering may be fined not more than $1,000, or imprisoned for not more than six months, or both. In addition, any election official who is convicted of violating the electioneering prohibitions is disqualified from acting as an election official for a term of five years from the time of the conviction.

The bill modifies the statutory language regarding "electioneering" to provide that the prohibition on electioneering also applies to electioneering at a polling place.

In addition, the bill prohibits the posting or distribution of election-related material during polling hours on any public property on election day at a polling place or within 100 feet of an entrance to a building containing a polling place. Similarly, the bill prohibits such conduct in relation to the municipal clerk's office or an alternate absentee ballot site during hours that absentee ballots may be cast therein. For purposes of the bill, "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 by absentee ballot. The prohibition would not apply to material posted or distributed by the municipal clerk or other election officials or to a bumper sticker on a motor vehicle. The bill authorizes a municipal clerk, election inspector, or law enforcement officer to remove or confiscate unauthorized election-related material. Finally, the bill provides that a violation of the election-related material prohibition is punishable by a forfeiture not to exceed $100.

Map of Area Served by Polling Place

The bill requires that the municipal clerk or board of election commissioners in municipalities with multiple polling places to prominently post at each polling place a map of the geographic area served by each polling place for that election. The map must display the boundaries of the ward or wards served by the polling place for that election.

Lists of Felons Ineligible to Vote

Under current law, any person who is convicted of a felony is not eligible to vote. However, if the person is pardoned or the person completes his or her sentence, the person's voting rights are restored. A person who is on probation, parole, or extended supervision has not completed his or her sentence. Under current law, there is no procedure that election officials must use to identify felons who are ineligible to vote and to prevent them from voting.

The bill directs the department of corrections (DOC) to transmit electronically to the elections board, on a continuous basis, a list containing the names of each person who has been convicted of a felony under the laws of this state and whose voting rights have not been restored, together with the date on which DOC expects his or her voting rights to be restored. The bill directs the board to enter the information received from DOC on the statewide voter registration list and to maintain the information on that list so that the information is kept current. Under the bill, the information is open to public inspection.

The bill also directs the elections board to enter on the poll list prepared for each election a notation after the name of any elector who is ineligible to vote on that date because the person's name appears on the current list that DOC provides. In addition, the bill directs the board to provide for each polling place at each election a list of persons whose names do not appear on the registration list but whose names appear on the current list that DOC provides and whose addresses are located within the area served by the polling place. These lists are open to public inspection.

The bill requires poll workers to check the lists and to inform any person whose name appears on the lists that they are ineligible to register to vote or to vote. A person whose name appears on a list and who claims to be eligible to vote may still be allowed to vote, but the person must vote by ballot. The ballot is marked for later examination and it may be reviewed and discounted during a canvass or recount if the appropriate board of canvassers determines that the person who cast the ballot is ineligible to vote.

The bill also requires every person who registers to vote to affirm specifically that he or she has not been convicted of a felony for which he or she has not been pardoned and, if so, whether the person is incarcerated or on probation, parole, or extended supervision resulting from that conviction. Currently, the law requires a person who registers at a polling place only to affirm that he or she is not disqualified on any ground from voting, and does not require any similar affirmation from other late registrants.

In addition, the bill directs the elections board to conduct a postelection audit after each election to determine whether any ineligible felons have been allowed to register and vote after the close of registration. If so, the board is directed to enter a notation reflecting this ineligibility on the registration list and to provide the names of these felons to the district attorney.

Finally, the bill requires DOC to create a form for notifying individuals of their ineligibility to vote. When an inmate who is disqualified from voting is released on parole or extended supervision, the DOC must use the form to notify the person that he or she may not vote until his or her civil rights are restored. The person and a witness must sign the form. The same procedure must be followed for each probationer, and by the court every time it imposes a sentence or places a defendant on probation for a conviction that disqualifies him or her from voting.

Additional Poll Worker: Greeter

Under current law, there must be at least 3 inspectors (poll workers) at each polling place. Municipalities may increase that number and may appoint special registration deputies on a nonpartisan basis to register voters at polling places on election day. Inspectors must be appointed from lists containing the names of eligible electors submitted by party committeemen and committeewomen. If no names or insufficient names are submitted, inspectors are appointed on a nonpartisan basis. Certain high school pupils may also be appointed to serve as inspectors. The party whose candidate for president or governor received the most votes in the area served by the polling place at the most recent general election is entitled to one more appointment than the other party. Alternate officials must also be appointed in a sufficient number to maintain adequate staffing.

The bill provides that each municipality may appoint an additional inspector on a nonpartisan basis who serves as a greeter and substitutes for other inspectors who must leave the voting room temporarily. Under the bill, the additional inspector is not entitled to participate in the canvassing process.

POST-ELECTION PROCEDURES

Time for Delivery of Election Material

Currently, by 2 p.m. on the day after an election, the municipal clerk must deliver the ballots, statements, tally sheets, lists, and envelopes for the clerk's municipality concerning any county, technical college district, state, or national election to the county clerk. In addition, current law requires the municipal clerk to arrange for delivery of these materials concerning a school district election to the school district clerk, but does not specify a time by which that delivery must take place. The bill sets the deadline for delivery of these materials at 4 p.m. on the day after an election.

Post-Election Inspectors' Statements

Under current law, after ballots have been counted and votes recorded at the polling place on appropriate tally sheets, inspectors' statements must be completed in duplicate, and all materials secured and routed to the appropriate clerk. The bill deletes the requirement that inspectors' statements be completed in duplicate. Instead, under the bill, the municipal clerk must make copies of the inspectors' statement for delivery to the county or school district clerk, or both. The municipal clerk must retain the original statement.

County and Municipal Clerk Serving on Board of Canvassers

Generally, under current law, the municipal and county board of canvassers is composed of the municipal or county clerk and 2 appointed members. No person may serve on the board if he or she is a candidate at an election to be canvassed. The bill allows the county and municipal clerk to continue to serve on the respective board of canvassers if the clerk is a candidate as long as he or she has no opponent on the ballot, or, in the event of a recount, the office the clerk is seeking is not a subject of the recount.

Grounds for Recall of Certain Local Elective Offices

Under current law, a petition for the recall of a city, village, town, or school district officer, in addition to other requirements, must state a reason for the recall that is related to the official responsibilities of the officer. Current law also provides for the removal of elective village, town, and school district officers and certain elective city officers, for cause, after notice and a hearing. Under current law, inefficiency, neglect of duty, official misconduct, or malfeasance in office constitute cause for removal from office.

The bill requires a petition for the recall of a city, village, town, or school district officer to contain a statement of the grounds that constitute each cause for the recall. Under the bill, "cause" means official misconduct or malfeasance in office.

Retention of Unused Ballots After an Election

The bill provides that unused ballots from an election may not be discarded or destroyed until at least the day after the latest day for the filing of a recount petition for any office on the ballots. In addition, the bill authorizes the county clerk to store any such unused ballots upon request of a municipal clerk of a municipality within the county and authorizes the county clerk to destroy the ballots pursuant to provisions of the bill.

Recount Procedures

Under current law, the state elections board is required to prescribe standard forms and procedures for the making of recounts. Additionally, when a recount is being conducted, if the ballots are in readable form such that automatic tabulating equipment may be used to count the ballots, the board of canvassers conducting the recount may choose to recount the ballots without the aid of automatic tabulating equipment. If automatic tabulating equipment is to be used, the equipment must be tested prior to the recount.

The bill requires the procedures developed by the elections board to require boards of canvassers in recounts involving more than one board of canvassers to consult with the elections board staff prior to beginning any recount to ensure that uniform procedures are used, to the extent practicable, in conducting such recounts.

In addition, the bill requires boards of canvassers to use automatic tabulating equipment to recount ballots that are in machine-readable form. The bill provides, however, that a candidate, or elector if the recount is for a referendum question, may petition the circuit court for an order requiring ballots in readable form to be counted by hand or by another method approved by the court. The petition must be filed by the close of business on the next business day after the last day for filing a petition for a recount. To prevail, the petitioner must establish by clear and convincing evidence that due to an irregularity, defect, or mistake committed during the voting or canvassing process the results of a recount using automatic tabulating equipment will produce incorrect recount results and that there is a substantial probability that recounting the ballots by hand or another method will produce a more correct result and change the outcome of the election. The court with whom the petition is filed must hear the matter as expeditiously as possible, without a jury. Only if the court determines that the petitioner has made the required showing may the court order a recount of the ballots by hand or other method. The procedure created by the bill does not affect the ability of an aggrieved candidate or elector under current law to appeal the outcome of a recount to circuit court upon completion of the recount.

Post-Election Audits

The bill requires the elections board, by no later than December 31, 2006, to 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 must include recommendations on how election practices in a given municipality may be reviewed by election officials of other, similar-sized municipalities and how such audits may be funded by the state. The recommendations must be submitted to the legislature.

Effective date

All changes to the law proposed by the bill take effect on July 1, 2006, or on the day after publication, whichever is later.

SB612, s. 1 Section 1. 5.02 (6m) of the statutes is repealed.

SB612, s. 2 Section 2. 5.02 (16g) of the statutes is created to read:

SB612,17,5 5.02 (16g) "Qualified circulator" means a qualified elector of this state or any U.S. citizen age 18 or older who, if he or she were a resident of this state, would not be disqualified from voting under s. 6.03.

SB612, s. 3 Section 3. 5.35 (6) (a) 4a. of the statutes is amended to read:

SB612,18,3 5.35 (6) (a) 4a. Instructions prescribed by the board for electors for whom identification proof of residence under s. 6.34 is required under s. 6.36 (2) (c) 2 6.55 (2).

SB612, s. 4 Section 4. 5.35 (6) (c) of the statutes is created to read:

SB612,18,9 5.35 (6) (c) At each polling place located in a municipality that is served by more than one polling place for an election, the municipal clerk or board of election commissioners shall prominently post a map of the geographic area served by the polling place for that election. The posting shall clearly show the boundaries of the ward or wards served by the polling place for that election.

SB612, s. 5 Section 5. 5.68 (3m) of the statutes is created to read:

SB612,18,14 5.68 (3m) The election administration council shall provide guidance to local units of government concerning the procurement of election apparatus, ballots, ballot forms, materials, and supplies for use in elections in this state to help ensure that competitive prices are obtained by those units of government.

SB612, s. 6 Section 6. 5.90 of the statutes, as affected by 2005 Wisconsin Act 92, is renumbered 5.90 (1) and amended to read:

SB612,19,7 5.90 (1) Except as otherwise provided in this subchapter, recounts of votes cast on an electronic voting system shall be conducted in the manner prescribed in s. 9.01. If Except as provided in sub. (2), if the ballots are distributed to the electors, the board of canvassers may elect to shall recount the ballots without the aid of with automatic tabulating equipment. If the board of canvassers elects to use automatic tabulating equipment, the The board of canvassers shall test the automatic tabulating equipment to be used prior to the recount as provided in s. 5.84, and then the official ballots or the record of the votes cast shall be recounted on the automatic tabulating equipment. In addition, the board of canvassers shall check the ballots for the presence or absence of the initials and other distinguishing marks, shall examine the ballots marked "Rejected", "Defective" and "Objected to" to determine the propriety of such labels, and shall compare the "Duplicate Overvoted Ballots" and "Duplicate Damaged Ballots" with their respective originals to determine the correctness of the duplicates. If electronic voting machines are used, the board of canvassers shall perform the recount using the permanent paper record of the votes cast by each elector, as generated by the machines.

SB612, s. 7 Section 7. 5.90 (2) and (3) of the statutes are created to read:

SB612,19,18 5.90 (2) Any candidate, or any elector when for a referendum, may, by the close of business on the next business day after the last day for filing a petition for a recount under s. 9.01, petition the circuit court for an order requiring ballots in readable form under sub. (1) to be counted by hand or by another method approved by the court. The petitioner in such an action bears the burden of establishing by clear and convincing evidence that due to an irregularity, defect, or mistake committed during the voting or canvassing process the results of a recount using automatic tabulating equipment will produce incorrect recount results and that there is a substantial probability that recounting the ballots by hand or another method will produce a more correct result and change the outcome of the election.

SB612,20,3 (3) A court with whom a petition under sub. (2) is filed shall hear the matter as expeditiously as possible, without a jury. The court may order a recount of the ballots by hand or another method only if it determines that the petitioner has established by clear and convincing evidence that due to an irregularity, defect, or mistake committed during the voting or canvassing process the results of a recount using automatic tabulating equipment will produce incorrect recount results and that there is a substantial probability that recounting the ballots by hand or another method will produce a more correct result and change the outcome of the election. Nothing in this section affects the right of a candidate or elector aggrieved by the recount to appeal to circuit court under s. 9.01 (6) upon completion of the recount.

SB612, s. 8 Section 8. 6.15 (2) (d) 1r. of the statutes is amended to read:

SB612,20,14 6.15 (2) (d) 1r. Upon proper completion of the application and cancellation card, the municipal clerk shall require the elector to provide acceptable proof of residence under s. 6.55 (7) 6.34. If the elector cannot provide acceptable proof of residence, the elector may have his or her residence corroborated in a statement that is signed by another elector of the municipality and that contains the current street address of the corroborating elector. If the residence is corroborated by another elector, that elector shall then provide proof of residence under s. 6.55 (7) 6.34. The elector shall then mark the ballot in the clerk's presence in a manner that will not disclose his or her vote. The elector shall then fold the ballot so as to conceal his or her vote. The clerk or elector shall then place the ballot in an envelope furnished by the clerk.

SB612, s. 9 Section 9. 6.15 (3) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB612,21,7 6.15 (3) Procedure at polling place. An eligible elector may appear at the polling place for the ward or election district where he or she resides and make application for a ballot under sub. (2). Except as otherwise provided in this subsection, an elector who casts a ballot under this subsection shall follow the same procedure required for casting a ballot at the municipal clerk's office under sub. (2). The inspectors shall perform the duties of the municipal clerk, except that the inspectors shall return the cancellation card under sub. (2) (b) to the municipal clerk and the clerk shall forward the card as provided in sub. (2) (c) if required. Upon proper completion of the application and cancellation card and submittal of acceptable proof of residence under s. 6.55 (7) 6.34 or providing corroboration of residence, the inspectors shall permit the elector to cast his or her ballot for president and vice president. The elector shall mark the ballot and, unless the ballot is utilized with an electronic voting system, the elector shall fold the ballot, and deposit the ballot into the ballot box or give it to the inspector. The inspector shall deposit it directly into the ballot box. Voting machines or ballots utilized with electronic voting systems may only be used by electors voting under this section if they permit voting for president and vice president only.

SB612, s. 10 Section 10. 6.15 (4) (a) to (d) of the statutes are amended to read:

SB612,21,13 6.15 (4) (a) Clerks holding new resident ballots shall deliver them to the election inspectors in the proper ward or election district where the new residents reside or, in municipalities where absentee ballots are canvassed under s. 7.52, to the municipal board of absentee ballot canvassers when it convenes under s. 7.52 (1), as provided by s. 6.88 for absentee ballots.

SB612,21,18 (b) During polling hours, the inspectors shall open each carrier envelope, announce the elector's name, check the affidavit for proper execution, and check the voting qualifications for the ward, if any. In municipalities where absentee ballots are canvassed under s. 7.52, the municipal board of absentee ballot canvassers shall perform this function at a meeting of the board of absentee ballot canvassers.

SB612,21,21 (c) The inspectors or board of absentee ballot canvassers shall open the inner envelope without examination of the ballot other than is necessary to see that the issuing clerk has endorsed it.

SB612,22,2 (d) Upon satisfactory completion of the procedure under pars. (b) and (c) the inspectors or board of absentee ballot canvassers shall deposit the ballot in the ballot box. The inspectors or board of absentee ballot canvassers shall enter the name of each elector voting under this section on the poll list with an indication that the elector is voting under this section or on a separate list maintained for the purpose under s. 6.79 (2) (c).

SB612, s. 11 Section 11. 6.15 (6) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB612,22,9 6.15 (6) Death of elector. When it appears by due proof to the inspectors or, in municipalities where absentee ballots are canvassed under s. 7.52, when it appears by due proof to the board of absentee ballot canvassers that a person voting under this section at an election has died before the date of the election, the inspectors or board of absentee ballot canvassers shall return the ballot with defective ballots to the issuing official.

SB612, s. 12 Section 12. 6.21 of the statutes is amended to read:

SB612,22,17 6.21 Deceased electors. When by due proof it appears to the inspectors or, in municipalities where absentee ballots are canvassed under s. 7.52, when by due proof it appears to the board of absentee ballot canvassers that a person voting under this section casting an absentee ballot at an election has died before the date of the election, they the inspectors or board of absentee ballot canvassers shall return the ballot with defective ballots to the issuing official. The casting of the ballot of a deceased elector does not invalidate the election.

SB612, s. 13 Section 13. 6.22 (2) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB612,22,21 6.22 (2) (b) Notwithstanding s. 6.87 (4), a A military elector shall make and subscribe to the certification under s. 6.87 (2) before a witness who is an adult U.S. citizen.

SB612, s. 14 Section 14. 6.22 (4) of the statutes is renumbered 6.22 (4) (a) amended to read:

SB612,23,5 6.22 (4) (a) An A request for an absentee ballot by an individual who qualifies as a military elector may shall be treated as a request for an absentee ballot for any election, or for all elections until the individual otherwise requests or until the individual no longer qualifies as a military elector. Upon receiving a timely request for an absentee ballot under par. (b) by an individual who qualifies as a military elector, the municipal clerk shall send or transmit to the elector an absentee ballot for all elections that occur in the municipality or portion thereof where the elector resides beginning on the date that the clerk receives the request.

SB612,23,10 (b) A military elector's application may be received at any time. The municipal clerk shall not send a ballot for an election if the application is received later than 5 p.m. on the Friday preceding that election unless s. 6.87 (3) (d) applies. The municipal clerk shall send a ballot, as soon as available, to each military elector who requests a ballot.

SB612,23,18 (d) The board shall prescribe the instructions for marking and returning ballots and the municipal clerk shall enclose instructions with each ballot and shall also enclose supplemental instructions for local elections. The envelope, return envelope and instructions may not contain the name of any candidate appearing on the enclosed ballots other than that of the municipal clerk affixed in the fulfillment of his or her duties. Each certificate envelope that is mailed or transmitted to a military elector under this section shall be clearly labeled as "Cast by a military elector under s. 6.22, Wis. stats., and may be eligible to be counted after election day".

SB612,24,4 (e) Whenever the material is mailed, the material shall be prepared and mailed to make use of the federal free postage laws. If the material does not qualify for mailing without postage under federal free postage laws, the municipal clerk shall pay the postage required for mailing to the military elector. If the return envelope qualifies for mailing free of postage under federal free postage laws, the clerk shall affix the appropriate legend required by U.S. postal regulations. Otherwise the municipal clerk shall pay the postage required for return when the ballot is mailed from within the United States. If the ballot is not mailed by the military elector from within the United States the military elector shall provide return postage. The mailing list established under this subsection shall be kept current in the same manner as provided in s. 6.86 (2) (b).