Amendment ASA1-AB898

LRBs0332/1

MPG&JK:cdc/cjs/wlj

2023 - 2024 LEGISLATURE

ASSEMBLY SUBSTITUTE AMENDMENT 1, TO ASSEMBLY BILL 898

February 20, 2024 - Offered by Representatives Snodgrass, Shelton and Joers.

AB898-ASA1,1,4 An Act to amend 6.20, 6.28 (1) (b) and 6.36 (2) (a); and to create 6.28 (2m), 6.31, 6.313 and 6.36 (2) (d) of the statutes; relating to: voter preregistration of 16- and 17-year-olds; voter registration at high schools; and voter registration forms and information provided to certain high school students.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau

Voter preregistration of 16- and 17-year-olds

Under current law, only qualified electors may register to vote and vote in an election. A qualified elector is a U.S. citizen age 18 or older who has resided in an election district or ward for 28 consecutive days.

Under this bill, an individual who is age 16 or 17 but who is otherwise eligible to vote in Wisconsin may preregister to vote. An individual who preregisters under the bill may not vote in an election unless he or she is at least 18 years of age on election day.

Voter registration at high schools

Prior to 2011 Wisconsin Act 240, state law required that all public high schools be used for voter registration for enrolled students and members of the high school staff. Prior law also authorized voter registration to take place at a private high school or a tribal school that operates high school grades if requested by the principal. This bill reinstates those provisions.

Under the bill, the municipal clerk must notify the school board of each school district in which the municipality is located that high schools will be used for voter registration. The school board and the clerk then appoint at least one qualified voter at each high school to be a special school registration deputy. The bill allows students and staff to register at the school on any day that classes are regularly held. The deputies promptly forward the registration forms to the clerk and the clerk adds qualified voters to the registration list. The clerk may reject a registration form, but the clerk must notify the registrant and inform the registrant of the reason for being rejected. Under the bill, a form completed by an individual who will be 18 years of age before the next election and who is otherwise qualified to vote must be filed in such a way so that the individual is automatically registered to vote when the individual is 18.

Finally, the bill allows a principal of a private high school or tribal school that operates high school grades to request that the municipal clerk appoint a qualified voter at the school to be a special school registration deputy. Under the bill, the clerk must appoint a special school registration deputy if the clerk determines that the private high school or tribal school has a substantial number of students residing in the municipality.

Provision of voter registration information to high school students

This bill requires each school board in Wisconsin to provide to each high school student in the school board's school district who becomes eligible to register to vote:

1. A voter registration form and information concerning eligibility to vote.

2. Nonpartisan materials describing the role of the citizen and the importance of voting in elections.

The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:

AB898-ASA1,1 Section 1 . 6.20 of the statutes is amended to read:

AB898-ASA1,2,4 6.20 Absent electors. Any qualified elector of this state who registers, and any individual who preregisters under s. 6.31 and will be at least 18 years of age on election day, may vote by absentee ballot under ss. 6.84 to 6.89.

AB898-ASA1,2 Section 2 . 6.28 (1) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB898-ASA1,3,5 6.28 (1) (b) All applications for registration corrections and additions may be made throughout the year at the office of the city board of election commissioners, at the office of the municipal clerk, at the office of the county clerk, or at other locations provided by the board of election commissioners or the common council in cities over 500,000 population or by either or both the municipal clerk, or the common council, village or town board in all other municipalities and may also be made during the school year at any high school by qualified persons under sub. (2m) (a). An elector who wishes to obtain a confidential listing under s. 6.47 (2) shall register at the office of the municipal clerk of the municipality where the elector resides.

AB898-ASA1,3 Section 3 . 6.28 (2m) of the statutes is created to read:

AB898-ASA1,3,8 6.28 (2m) At high schools. (a) Public high schools shall be used for registration for enrolled students and members of the high school staff.

AB898-ASA1,4,2 (b) The municipal clerk of each municipality shall notify the school board of each school district in which the municipality is located that high schools shall be used for registration pursuant to par. (a). The school board and the municipal clerk shall agree upon the appointment of at least one qualified elector at each high school as a special school registration deputy. The municipal clerk shall appoint such person as a school registration deputy and explain the person's duties and responsibilities. Students and staff may register at the high school on any day that classes are regularly held. The school registration deputies shall promptly forward properly completed registration forms to the municipal clerk of the municipality in which the registering student or staff member resides. The municipal clerk, upon receiving such registration forms, shall add all those registering electors who have met the registration requirements to the registration list. The municipal clerk may reject any registration form and shall promptly notify the person whose registration is rejected of the rejection and the reason therefor. A person whose registration is rejected may reapply for registration if he or she is qualified. The form of each high school student who is qualified and will be eligible to vote at the next election shall be filed in such a way that when a student attains the age of 18 years the student is registered to vote automatically. Each school board shall assure that the principal of every high school communicates elector registration information to students.

AB898-ASA1,4,10 (c) The principal of any private high school or of any tribal school, as defined in s. 115.001 (15m), that operates high school grades that has a substantial number of students residing in a municipality may request the municipal clerk to appoint a special school registration deputy in accordance with par. (b). Students and staff may register at the high school on any day that classes are regularly held. The clerk shall appoint a special school registration deputy in the high school if the clerk determines the school to have a substantial number of students residing in the municipality.

AB898-ASA1,4 Section 4 . 6.31 of the statutes is created to read:

AB898-ASA1,4,15 6.31 Information provided to certain high school students. Each school board, as defined in s. 115.001 (7), shall ensure that all of the following are provided to each high school student in the school board's school district who becomes eligible to register to vote:

AB898-ASA1,4,17 (1) A voter registration form prescribed under s. 6.33 and information concerning eligibility to vote.

AB898-ASA1,4,19 (2) Nonpartisan materials describing the role of the citizen and the importance of voting in elections.

AB898-ASA1,5 Section 5 . 6.313 of the statutes is created to read:

AB898-ASA1,4,23 6.313 Preregistration. An individual who is an eligible elector under s. 6.02, except that he or she is age 16 or 17, may preregister to vote by any registration method provided in s. 6.30.

AB898-ASA1,6 Section 6 . 6.36 (2) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB898-ASA1,5,17 6.36 (2) (a) Except as provided in par. pars. (b) and (d), each registration list prepared for use as a poll list at a polling place or for purposes of canvassing absentee ballots at an election shall contain the full name and address of each registered elector; a blank column for the entry of the serial number of the electors when they vote or the poll list number used by the municipal board of absentee ballot canvassers in canvassing absentee ballots; an indication next to the name of each elector for whom proof of residence under s. 6.34 is required; a space for entry of the type of and the name of the entity or institution that issued the identifying document submitted by the elector as proof of residence when proof of residence under s. 6.34 is required; a space for entry of the elector's signature, or if another person signed the elector's registration form for the elector by reason of the elector's physical disability, the word “exempt"; and a form of certificate bearing the certification of the commission administrator stating that the list is a true and complete registration list of the municipality or the ward or wards for which the list is prepared. The commission shall, by rule, prescribe the space and location for entry of each elector's signature on the poll list which shall provide for entry of the signature without changing the orientation of the poll list from the orientation used by the election officials.

AB898-ASA1,7 Section 7 . 6.36 (2) (d) of the statutes is created to read:

AB898-ASA1,5,21 6.36 (2) (d) The registration list under this subsection may not contain the name of an individual who preregistered under s. 6.31 unless he or she will be at least 18 years of age on election day.

AB898-ASA1,5,22 (End)