AB849: Bill Text

LRB-3865/1

JTK:kjf:jf

2003 - 2004 LEGISLATURE

2003 Assembly BILL 849

February 19, 2004 - Introduced by Committee on Campaigns and Elections. Referred to Committee on Campaigns and Elections.

AB849,1,8 An Act to repeal 5.77 (2) and 7.23 (1) (g); to renumber and amend 5.77 (1); to amend 5.02 (1e), 5.02 (4m), 5.02 (24r), 5.40 (5), 5.51 (6), 5.53 (1), 5.62 (1) (a), 5.66 (2), 5.76, 5.78, 5.81 (1) and (3), 5.85 (2) and (5), 5.91 (6), 5.91 (7), 5.91 (9), 5.94, 6.82 (2) (a) and (b), 6.82 (3), 7.15 (3) (a), 7.23 (1) (f), 7.37 (4), 7.51 (6), 9.01 (1) (b) 6., 8. and 10., 10.01 (2) (b), 10.02 (3) (b) 1., 2., 2m., 3. and 4., 10.02 (3) (c) and (d), 10.06 (3) (e) and 12.13 (3) (j); and to create 5.91 (15) of the statutes; relating to: discontinuance of the use of electronic voting machines at elections in this state.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau

Currently, with limited exceptions, every municipality with a population of 7,500 or more must use voting machines or an electronic voting system at all primaries and other elections held in the municipality. Either mechanical or electronic voting machines may be used. No electronic voting system, including an electronic voting machine, may be used unless the system meets statutory standards and is approved by the State Elections Board for use at elections held in this state. All voting machines must be tested before each election to determine if they are functioning properly. If voting machines are used, ballots need not be printed and distributed to electors, but if electronic voting machines are used, the machines must maintain a cumulative tally of votes cast that is retrievable in the event of a power outage, evacuation or malfunction so that the record of the votes cast prior to the time that the problem occurs is preserved.

This bill discontinues the authorization for municipalities to use electronic voting machines at elections held in this state. Under the bill, if an electronic voting system is used, the system must be of a type in which printed ballots are distributed to electors.

For further information see the local fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill.

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

AB849, s. 1 Section 1. 5.02 (1e) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB849,2,5 5.02 (1e) "Ballot" means a ballot label, sheet of paper or envelope on which votes are recorded. The term also includes a sheet or card, filmstrip or other device listing or containing information relative to offices, candidates and referenda which is placed, projected or composed on the board or screen inside a voting machine.

AB849, s. 2 Section 2. 5.02 (4m) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB849,2,10 5.02 (4m) "Electronic voting system" means a system in which votes are recorded on ballots, and the votes are subsequently counted and tabulated by automatic tabulating equipment. The term also includes a voting machine on which votes are recorded and tabulated by electronic means.

AB849, s. 3 Section 3. 5.02 (24r) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB849,2,15 5.02 (24r) "Voting machine" means a machine which serves in lieu of a voting booth and which mechanically or electronically records the votes cast by electors, who depress levers or buttons located next to the choices listed on a ballot to cast their votes.

AB849, s. 4 Section 4. 5.40 (5) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB849,3,4 5.40 (5) A municipality which utilizes voting machines at a polling place shall not utilize the machines to receive the vote of an elector who declares to the chief inspector that, due to physical disability, the elector is unable to depress a button or lever on a machine.

AB849, s. 5 Section 5. 5.51 (6) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB849,3,9 5.51 (6) All candidates' names for the same office shall be placed, projected or composed on the ballot in the same size, style and color of type. The style and size of type shall conform substantially to the official ballot forms prescribed by the board under s. 7.08 (1) (a).

AB849, s. 6 Section 6. 5.53 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB849,3,14 5.53 (1) Voting machine ballots shall be placed, projected or composed on a board or screen inside the machine, under s. 5.64 and may be arranged in either columns or rows. The type face shall be easy to read, and the type size may be no smaller than 8 point.

AB849, s. 7 Section 7. 5.62 (1) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB849,4,11 5.62 (1) (a) At September primaries, the following ballot shall be provided for the nomination of candidates of recognized political parties for national, state and county offices and independent candidates for state office in each ward, in the same form as prescribed by the board under s. 7.08 (1) (a), except as authorized in s. 5.655. The ballots shall be made up of the several party tickets with each party entitled to participate in the primary under par. (b) or sub. (2) having its own ballot, except as authorized in s. 5.655. The independent candidates for state office other than district attorney shall have a separate ballot for all such candidates as under s. 5.64 (1) (e), except as authorized in s. 5.655. The ballots shall be secured together at the bottom. The party ballot of the party receiving the most votes for president or governor at the last general election shall be on top with the other parties arranged in descending order based on their vote for president or governor at the last general election. The ballots of parties qualifying under sub. (2) shall be placed after the parties qualifying under par. (b), in the same order in which the parties filed petitions with the board. Any ballot required under par. (b) 2. shall be placed next in order. The ballot listing the independent candidates shall be placed at the bottom. At polling places where voting machines are used, each party and the independent candidates shall be represented in one or more separate columns or rows on the ballot. At polling places where an electronic voting system is used other than an electronic voting machine, each party and the independent candidates may be represented in separate columns or rows on the ballot.

AB849, s. 8 Section 8. 5.66 (2) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB849,5,3 5.66 (2) The county clerk or board of election commissioners shall print a sufficient number of sample ballots. The municipal clerk or board of election commissioners shall print sample ballots whenever the municipality prepares ballots under s. 7.15 (2) (b) or (c). Sample ballots shall be printed on nonwhite colored paper and shall be overprinted "SAMPLE". Voting machine sample ballots shall be a reduced size diagram of the face of the board or screen inside the voting machine with all candidates, issues and voting instructions as they will appear on the official ballot. Sample ballots to be used with an electronic voting system in which ballots that are distributed to electors are used shall be an actual size copy of the ballot. The clerk or board of election commissioners printing the ballots shall distribute the samples approximately as follows: 45% shall be kept in the clerk's or board's office and distributed to electors requesting them; 45% shall be sent to the municipalities, or, if the municipality prints ballots, 45% shall be sent to the county for distribution to the electors; and 10% shall be reserved to be sent to the polling places by municipalities in proportion to the number certified in sub. (1) and made available to electors at the polls on election day.

AB849, s. 9 Section 9. 5.76 of the statutes is amended to read:

AB849,5,12 5.76 Adoption, experimentation or discontinuance of systems. The governing body or board of election commissioners of any municipality may by ordinance or resolution adopt, experiment with, or discontinue any electronic voting system authorized by this subchapter and approved under s. 5.91 for use in this state, and may purchase or lease materials or equipment for such system to be used in all or some of the wards within its jurisdiction, either exclusively in combination with mechanical voting machines, or in combination with paper ballots where such ballots are authorized to be used.

AB849, s. 10 Section 10. 5.77 (1) of the statutes is renumbered 5.77 and amended to read:

AB849,5,16 5.77 Applicable procedures. So far as applicable, the procedure provided for voting paper ballots applies when an electronic voting system employing the use of ballots distributed to electors is used.

AB849, s. 11 Section 11. 5.77 (2) of the statutes is repealed.

AB849, s. 12 Section 12. 5.78 of the statutes is amended to read:

AB849,5,22 5.78 Voting booths. At polling places where an electronic voting system employing the use of ballots distributed to electors is used, the municipality shall supply a sufficient number of voting booths for the use of electors as provided in s. 5.35 (2).

AB849, s. 13 Section 13. 5.81 (1) and (3) of the statutes are amended to read:

AB849,6,5 5.81 (1) Whenever the statutes provide for the use of separate ballots or columns or rows for offices, parties or referenda, and an electronic voting system in which ballots are distributed to electors is used at a polling place, a single ballot may be used for all offices, referenda and parties. The ballot information, whether placed on the ballot or on the voting device, shall, as far as practicable, be grouped and ordered in the same manner as provided for other ballots under this chapter, except that the information on the ballot need not be in separate columns or rows.

AB849,6,9 (3) If a municipality utilizes an electronic voting system in which ballots distributed to electors are employed, absentee ballots may consist of ballots utilized with the system or paper ballots and envelopes voted in person in the office of the municipal clerk or voted by mail.

AB849, s. 14 Section 14. 5.85 (2) and (5) of the statutes are amended to read:

AB849,7,16 5.85 (2) The election officials shall examine the ballots or record of votes cast for write-in votes and shall count and tabulate the write-in votes. When an electronic voting system is used which utilizes a ballot which is distributed to electors, before separating the remaining ballots from their respective covering envelopes, the election officials shall examine the ballots for write-in votes. When an elector has cast a write-in vote, the election officials shall compare the write-in vote with the votes on the ballot to determine whether the write-in vote results in an overvote for any office. In case of an overvote for any office, the election officials shall make a true duplicate ballot of all votes on the ballot except for the office which is overvoted, by using an official ballot of that kind used by the elector who voted the original ballot, and one of the marking devices so as to transfer all votes of the elector except for the office overvoted, to an official ballot of that kind used in the ward at that election. Unless election officials are selected under s. 7.30 (4) (c) without regard to party affiliation, the election officials shall consist in each case of at least one election official of each of the 2 major political parties, whenever officials of both parties are present. Write-in votes shall be counted as provided in s. 7.50 (2) (d). The original ballot upon which there is an overvote shall be clearly labeled "Overvoted Ballot" and the ballot so produced "Duplicate Overvoted Ballot", and each shall bear the same serial number which shall be placed thereon by the election officials, commencing with number "1" and continuing consecutively for each of the ballots of that kind in that ward or election district. The election officials shall initial the "Duplicate Overvoted Ballot" ballots and shall place them in the container for return of the ballots. The "Overvoted Ballot" ballots and their envelopes shall be placed in the "Original Ballots" envelope. Ballots bearing write-in votes marked in the place designated therefor and bearing the initials of an election official and not resulting in an overvote and otherwise complying with the election laws as to marking shall be counted, tallied, and their votes recorded on a tally sheet provided by the municipal clerk. Ballots and ballot envelopes shall be separated and all ballots except any which are defective or overvoted shall be placed separately in the container for return of the ballots, along with the ballots marked "Duplicate Overvoted Ballots".

AB849,8,10 (5) If the municipality has designated a central counting location to be used to count ballots under s. 7.51 (1), the inspectors shall count and deposit the paper ballots in the container. The inspectors shall then place the slip made out under sub. (4) in the container. The inspectors shall also place the tally sheet recording the write-in votes and other votes cast on paper ballots, and all other ballots, or the record of the votes cast on an electronic voting system where no ballots are distributed to electors, in the container and shall thereupon immediately seal the container with an adhesive seal provided by the municipal clerk for the purpose in such manner that the seal completely covers the opening in the container, and each of the inspectors shall sign the seal. The "Defective Ballots" envelope, and "Original Ballots" envelope each shall be securely sealed and the flap or end thereof of each signed by the inspectors and returned to the central counting location with the box for return of the ballots, enclosed ballots and returns. Thereupon, the municipal clerk or 2 of the election officials shall forthwith and by the most direct route transport the container and envelopes to the central counting location designated by the municipal clerk. Unless election officials are selected under s. 7.30 (4) (c) without regard to party affiliation, the election officials shall consist in each case of at least one election official of each of the 2 major political parties, whenever officials of both parties are present.

AB849, s. 15 Section 15. 5.91 (6) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB849,8,18 5.91 (6) The voting device or machine permits an elector in a primary election to vote for the candidates of the recognized political party or the independent candidates of his or her choice, and the automatic tabulating equipment or machine rejects any ballot on which votes are cast in the primary of more than one recognized political party, except where a party or independent candidate designation is made or where an elector casts write-in votes for candidates of more than one party on a ballot that is distributed to the elector.

AB849, s. 16 Section 16. 5.91 (7) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB849,9,2 5.91 (7) It permits an elector to vote at an election for all persons and offices for whom and for which the elector is lawfully entitled to vote; to vote for as many persons for an office as the elector is entitled to vote for; to vote for or against any question upon which the elector is entitled to vote; and it rejects all choices recorded on a ballot for an office or a measure if the number of choices exceeds the number which an elector is entitled to vote for on such office or on such measure, except where an elector casts excess write-in votes upon a ballot that is distributed to the elector.

AB849, s. 17 Section 17. 5.91 (9) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB849,9,6 5.91 (9) It prevents an elector from voting for the same person more than once for the same office, except where an elector casts excess write-in votes upon a ballot that is distributed to the elector.

AB849, s. 18 Section 18. 5.91 (15) of the statutes is created to read:

AB849,9,9 5.91 (15) It requires the use of an individual printed ballot that is distributed to the elector.

AB849, s. 19 Section 19. 5.94 of the statutes is amended to read: