CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS
AND
REFERENDA
First Consideration of Constitutional Amendments
Article III, Section 1m
Requiring a photographic identification to vote, or register to vote, at the polls on election day.
[2005 AJR-36]JR-39
Article V, Section 10 (1) (c)
Prohibiting partial vetoes from creating new sentences.
[2005 SJR-33]JR-46
Article V, Section 10 (1) (c)
Prohibiting the govenor from using the partial veto authority to reject any individual word in a sentence of the enrolled bill.
[2005 AJR-68]JR-40
Second Consideration of Constitutional Amendments
Article VI, Section 4 (1), (3) (c) and (4) and
Article VII, Section 12
4-year terms of office for certain county officers.
[2005 SJR-2] JR-2
Article XIII, Section 13
Providing that only a marriage between one man and one woman shall be valid or recognized as a marriage in this state.
[2005 SJR-53] JR-30
Constitutional Amendments — April 5, 2005, Election
One question submitting an amendment to the Wisconsin Constitution for ratification was on the April 5, 2005, statewide election ballot. The number of votes cast for or against the question, shown below, was copied from the official canvass certified by the chairperson of the Wisconsin State Elections Board on April 28, 2005. The amendment was ratified by a majority of the electors voting on the question.
Question 1 was placed on the ballot by 2005 Senate Jt.Res-2 (2005 Enrolled Jt.Res-2). The question concerned 4-year terms of office for certain county officers.
Question 1: "4-year terms of office for certain county officers. Shall section 4 of article VI and section 12 of
article VII of the constitution be amended to provide that district attorneys, coroners, elected surveyors, registers of deeds, treasurers, county clerks, and clerks of circuit court be elected to 4-year terms?" [2005 SJR-2] [JR-2]
( Yes: 534,742 — No: 177,037 )
Constitutional Amendments — November 7, 2006, Election
Two questions were on the November 7, 2006, statewide election ballot.
Question 1 submitted a constitutional amendment for ratification. The number of votes cast for or against the question, shown below, was copied from the official canvass certified by the chairperson of the Wisconsin State Elections Board on December 1, 2006. The amendment was ratified by a majority of the electors voting on the question.
Question 1 was placed on the ballot by 2005 Senate Jt.Res-53 (2005 Enrolled Jt.Res-30). The question concerned if only a marriage between one man and one woman shall be valid or recognized as a marriage in this state.
Question 1: "Marriage. Shall section 13 of
article XIII of the constitution be created to provide that only a marriage between one man and one woman shall be valid or recognized as a marriage in this state and that a legal status identical or substantially similar to that of marriage for unmarried individuals shall not be valid or recognized in this state?" [2005 SJR-53] [JR-30]
( Yes: 1,264,310 — No: 862,924 )
Advisory Referendum — November 7, 2006, Election
Question 2 was an advisory referendum question on the November 7, 2006, statewide election ballot. The number of votes cast for or against the question, shown below, was copied from the official canvass certified by the chairperson of the Wisconsin State Elections Board on December 1, 2006.
Question 2 was placed on the ballot by 2005 Senate Jt.Res-5 (2005 Enrolled Jt.Res-58). The question concerned if the death penalty should be enacted in this state for certain cases.
Question 2: "Death Penalty in Wisconsin. Should the death penalty be enacted in the State of Wisconsin for cases involving a person who is convicted of first-degree intentional homicide, if the conviction is supported by DNA evidence?" [2005 SJR-5] [JR-58]
( Yes: 1,166,571 — No: 934,508 )
Ratified Amendments
This part of the Numerical Listing of Sections Affected by Wisconsin Acts shows the full current text of each section of the Wisconsin Constitution that was created or changed through an amendment validly ratified by the voters of Wisconsin since the publication of the 2003-04 Wisconsin Statutes. Amendments to the Wisconsin Constitution become "effective at the time the chairperson of the board certifies that the amendment or referendum question is approved" [Sec. 7.70 (3) (h), Wis. Stats.].
Article VI
Administrative
County officers; elections, terms, removal; vacancies. Section 4. [As created or amended April 2005]
(1) (a) Except as provided in pars. (b) and (c) and sub. (2), coroners, registers of deeds, district attorneys, and all other elected county officers, except judicial officers, sheriffs, and chief executive officers, shall be chosen by the electors of the respective counties once in every 2 years.
(b) Beginning with the first general election at which the governor is elected which occurs after the ratification of this paragraph, sheriffs shall be chosen by the electors of the respective counties, or by the electors of all of the respective counties comprising each combination of counties combined by the legislature for that purpose, for the term of 4 years and coroners in counties in which there is a coroner shall be chosen by the electors of the respective counties, or by the electors of all of the respective counties comprising each combination of counties combined by the legislature for that purpose, for the term of 4 years.
(c) Beginning with the first general election at which the president is elected which occurs after the ratification of this paragraph, district attorneys, registers of deeds, county clerks, and treasurers shall be chosen by the electors of the respective counties, or by the electors of all of the respective counties comprising each combination of counties combined by the legislature for that purpose, for the term of 4 years and surveyors in counties in which the office of surveyor is filled by election shall be chosen by the electors of the respective counties, or by the electors of all of the respective counties comprising each combination of counties combined by the legislature for that purpose, for the term of 4 years.
(4) The governor may remove any elected county officer mentioned in this section except a county clerk, treasurer, or surveyor, giving to the officer a copy of the charges and an opportunity of being heard.
Article VII
Judiciary
Clerks of circuit or supreme courts. Section 12. [As created or amended April 2005]
(1) There shall be a clerk of circuit court chosen in each county organized for judicial purposes by the qualified electors thereof, who, except as provided in sub. (2), shall hold office for two years, subject to removal as provided by law.
(2) Beginning with the first general election at which the governor is elected which occurs after the ratification of this subsection, a clerk of circuit court shall be chosen by the electors of each county, for the term of 4 years, subject to removal as provided by law.
(3) In case of a vacancy, the judge of the circuit court may appoint a clerk until the vacancy is filled by an election.
(4) The clerk of circuit court shall give such security as the legislature requires by law.
(5) The supreme court shall appoint its own clerk, and may appoint a clerk of circuit court to be the clerk of the supreme court.
Article XIII
Miscellaneous Provisions
Marriage. Section 13. [As created or amended November 2006]
Only a marriage between one man and one woman shall be valid or recognized as a marriage in this state. A legal status identical or substantially similar to that of marriage for unmarried individuals shall not be valid or recognized in this state.
