8.16(4)
(4) A recognized political party which participated in the most recent gubernatorial election but loses its ballot position and subsequently regains such position under
s. 5.62 (2) does not cease to be a political party for purposes of qualification under
subs. (2) and
(3).
8.16(5)
(5) Any candidate for a partisan state office except district attorney may also qualify for payments under
s. 11.50 if the candidate meets the requirements specified in
s. 11.50; however, a candidate who qualifies under this section for placement on the official ballot at the general election shall appear on such ballot regardless of whether he or she qualifies for payments under
s. 11.50.
8.16(6)
(6) The persons who receive the greatest number of votes respectively for the offices of governor and lieutenant governor on any party ballot at a primary shall be the party's joint candidates for the offices, and their names shall so appear on the official ballot at the next election.
8.16(7)
(7) Nominees chosen at a national convention and under
s. 8.18 (2) by each party entitled to a September primary ballot shall be the party's candidates for president, vice president and presidential electors. The state or national chairperson of each such party shall certify the names of the party's nominees for president and vice president to the board no later than 5 p.m. on the first Tuesday in September preceding a presidential election. Each name shall be in one of the formats authorized in
s. 7.08 (2) (a).
8.16 Annotation
The vote percentage requirement set forth in sub. (2) applies to special partisan primary elections. 61 Atty. Gen. 172.
8.16 Annotation
Five per cent requirement of sub. (2) did not violate equal protection nor did it burden rights to associate and cast votes effectively. Blair v. Hebl, 498 F Supp. 756 (1980).
8.17
8.17
Political party committees. 8.17(1)(a)(a) Political parties qualifying for a separate ballot under
s. 5.62 (1) (b) or
(2) shall elect their party committeemen and committeewomen at the September primary. The function of committeemen and committeewomen is to represent their neighborhoods in the structure of a political party. Committeemen and committeewomen shall act as liaison representatives between their parties and the residents of the election districts in which they serve. Activities of committeemen and committeewomen shall include, but not be limited to, voter identification; assistance in voter registration drives; increasing voter participation in political parties; polling and other methods of passing information from residents to political parties and elected public officials; and dissemination of information from public officials to residents. For assistance in those and other activities of interest to a political party, each committeeman and committeewoman may appoint a captain to engage in these activities in each ward, if the election district served by the committeeman or committeewoman includes more than one ward. In an election district which includes more than one ward, the committeeman or committeewoman shall coordinate the activities of the ward captains in promoting the interests of his or her party.
8.17(1)(b)
(b) Each political party shall elect one committeeman or committeewoman from each election district. In this section, each village, each town and each city is an "election district"; except that in cities having a population of more than 7,500 which are divided into aldermanic districts, each aldermanic district is an "election district"; and in cities having a population of more than 7,500 which are not divided into aldermanic districts and villages or towns having a population of more than 7,500, each ward or group of combined wards under
s. 5.15 (6) (b) constituting a polling place on June 1 of the year in which committeemen or committeewomen are elected is an "election district". To be eligible to serve as its committeeman or committeewoman, an individual shall be, at the time of filing nomination papers or at the time of appointment under this section, a resident of the election district which he or she is chosen to represent and shall be at least 18 years of age.
8.17(2)
(2) Nomination papers shall be in substantially the same form as those required for candidates for the assembly. The papers shall include a statement signed by the candidate declaring the candidate's candidacy and that the candidate meets the eligibility requirements of
sub. (1). Nomination papers may be circulated no sooner than June 1 preceding the election and may be filed in the office of the county clerk or board of election commissioners no later than 5 p.m. on the 2nd Tuesday of July in those years when a September primary is held. The signatures of not less than 20 nor more than 40 electors are required.
8.17(3)(a)(a) Only individuals filing nomination papers may have their names appear on the ballot. There shall be no space provided for write-in candidates. When no candidate files nomination papers for party committeeman or committeewoman, the office may not appear on the ballot for that party in that election district and the vacancy shall be filled by the county committee under
sub. (5) (g) and
(h).
8.17(3)(b)
(b) The county clerk or board of election commissioners shall arrange the names of candidates for committeemen or committeewomen in the proper party column under
s. 5.62 for each election district.
8.17(4)(a)(a) Each elector may vote for party committeeman or committeewoman by voting for one of the names on the ballot.
8.17(4)(b)
(b) The results shall be returned as are other results of the September primary, but no write-in votes or stickers may be counted. Whenever 2 or more candidates for party committeeman or committeewoman receive an equal number of votes, the county board of canvassers shall certify as the winner the one of them who was the first to file proper nomination papers.
8.17(4)(c)
(c) The term of office of each elected or appointed committeeman or committeewoman shall end on the date of the meeting held under
sub. (5) (b) following each September primary.
8.17(5)(a)(a) The county committee of each political party shall consist of the duly elected committeemen and committeewomen and appointed committeemen and committeewomen residing in the county.
8.17(5)(b)
(b) A combined meeting of the county committee and members in good standing of the party in the county shall be held no sooner than 15 days after the September primary and no later than April 1 of the following year. At this meeting, the county committee offices of chairperson, vice chairperson, secretary and treasurer shall be filled by election by the committeemen, committeewomen and party members present and voting, each of whom is entitled to one vote. At this meeting, the county committee shall elect the members of the congressional district committee as provided in
sub. (6) (b),
(c) and
(d). The secretary of the county committee shall give at least 7 days' written notice of the meeting to party and committee members. Individuals elected as county committee officers or as congressional district committee members may be, but are not required to be, committeemen or committeewomen. They are required to be party members in good standing. Their terms begin during the meeting immediately upon completion and verification of the voting for each office.
8.17(5)(c)
(c) The secretary of the county committee shall notify the county clerk in writing of the name and address of the elected county committee chairperson within 10 days of his or her election.
8.17(5)(d)
(d) The chairperson of the county committee shall notify the chairperson of the state committee of the names and addresses of the individuals elected as congressional district committee members within 10 days of their election.
8.17(5)(e)
(e) Except as authorized in this paragraph, all county committee meetings shall be called by the chairperson of the county committee. The secretary of the county committee shall give at least 7 days' written notice of each meeting to the committee members. A majority of committee members may, upon petition to the chairperson signed by all of them, demand that the chairperson call a meeting. If after 3 days the chairperson has failed to do so, the demanding members may designate one of them to call and preside at a meeting, also upon at least 7 days' written notice to all committee members. The member so designated shall provide the notice. Meetings called in either manner have equal standing.
8.17(5)(f)
(f) Any of the county committee officers named in
par. (b) may be removed from office at any meeting of the committee if at least two-thirds of the committeemen or committeewomen are present; at least 7 days' written notice of the meeting is given to members of the party in the county; the notice discloses that discussion of the removal of one or more officers is on the agenda; and the notice includes and identifies this paragraph. Any such removal, and subsequent filling of a vacancy, shall be by vote of the committeemen, committeewomen and party members present and voting, each of whom is entitled to one vote.
8.17(5)(g)
(g) Any vacancy in any county committee office, except the offices named in
par. (b) shall be filled by the county committee, except that the county committee chairperson may temporarily fill any vacancy.
8.17(5)(h)
(h) The county committee may appoint a committeeman or committeewoman for any election district in which no one was elected. An appointed committeeman or committeewoman has the same responsibilities and may engage in the same activities as an elected committeeman or committeewoman.
8.17(5)(i)
(i) Each committee and its officers shall have the powers usually exercised by committees and their officers.
8.17(6)(a)(a) The congressional district committee shall consist of members elected by the county committee or committees under
pars. (b) and
(c).
8.17(6)(b)
(b) For each assembly district lying wholly within one county, the county committee shall elect 2 persons from each assembly district as members of the congressional district committee.
8.17(6)(c)
(c) For each assembly district lying partially within one county, the county committee shall elect one person as a member of the congressional district committee, except that the county committee may elect additional members so that the county has at least 2 members on the committee of each congressional district in which it lies.
8.17(6)(d)
(d) County committees may elect alternate members to congressional district committees on the same basis and in the same numbers as they are entitled to elect under
pars. (b) and
(c).
8.17(6)(e)
(e) At least once every year, the chairperson of the congressional district committee shall call, with at least 30 days' notice in writing to the chairperson of the county committee, or committees lying within the district, for a caucus of members of the party in the district. Committee offices of chairperson, vice chairperson, secretary, and treasurer shall be filled by a caucus in the time and manner prescribed by the constitution of either the district committee or the state committee. Individuals elected to these offices may be, but are not required to be, members of the congressional district committee. The secretary shall provide notice of all meetings of the congressional district committee.
8.17(7)(a)(a) Duly elected or appointed committeemen and committeewomen residing in any political subdivision or assembly district may organize a committee for their area upon presenting a petition therefor to the congressional district committee, which petition shall be signed by at least 25% of the committeemen and committeewomen who reside in that same area. Upon filing such a petition:
8.17(7)(a)1.
1. The chairperson of the congressional district committee shall call the first meeting within 10 days of delivery of the petition.
8.17(7)(a)2.
2. The secretary of the congressional district committee shall give at least 5 days' advance written notice of the meeting to all committeemen, committeewomen and party members residing in the area of the new committee.
8.17(7)(a)3.
3. Committee offices of chairperson, vice chairperson, secretary and treasurer shall be filled by election in the same manner as that provided for the county committee, and may be filled by individuals who are not committeemen or committeewomen.
8.17(7)(a)4.
4. Additional meetings may be called in the same manner as that provided for the county committee under
sub. (5) (e).
8.17(7)(a)5.
5. Holders of committee offices may be removed and subsequent vacancies filled in the same manner as that provided for the county committee under
sub. (5) (f).
8.17(7)(a)6.
6. Committeemen and committeewomen who are members of committees organized in any political subdivision or assembly district retain their status as members of the county committee.
8.17(7)(b)
(b) Assembly district committees shall also include as members those individuals elected by the county committee under
sub. (6) as members of the congressional district committee.
8.17(8)(a)(a) The congressional district committee shall elect at least 2 individuals to become members of the state committee. Those elected may be, but are not required to be, members of the district committee.
8.17(8)(b)
(b) The state committee may consist solely of members elected under
par. (a) or may consist of those members and as many other members called for and chosen in the manner prescribed in the constitution of the state committee.
8.17(9)(a)(a) If a county has no committee as provided by
sub. (5) (a), residents of that county may voluntarily form a committee, which, upon approval of the state committee and certification by the secretary of the state committee to the board and the county clerk or board of election commissioners, shall then become the county committee with equal standing as if it had been organized under
sub. (5) (a). This standing shall remain unless and until a committee is organized under
sub. (5) (a).
8.17(9)(b)
(b) Members of a committee organized under
par. (a) are not, and shall not be known as, committeemen and committeewomen.
8.17(10)
(10) Committeemen and committeewomen who are members in good standing of their county parties, by virtue of their offices, shall be granted credentials for participation in any caucus or convention called by their congressional district committees or the state committee, and those credentials shall be distributed at least 21 days in advance of the meeting by the secretary of the committee calling the caucus or convention.
8.17(11)
(11) The names of the committees shall be that of the identifying name followed by Party of ...., the blank to be filled with the name of the county, congressional district, or other geographic areas.
8.17(12)
(12) The secretary of the state committee of each recognized political party under
s. 5.62 (1) (b) or
(2) shall notify the board in writing of the name and address of the elected state committee chairperson within 10 days of his or her election.
8.18
8.18
Nomination of presidential electors. 8.18(1)
(1) Candidates for the senate and assembly nominated by each political party at the primary, the state officers and the holdover state senators of each political party shall meet in the state capitol at 10 a.m. on the first Tuesday in October of each year in which there is a presidential election.
8.18(2)
(2) The purpose of the convention is to nominate one presidential elector from each congressional district and 2 electors from the state at large. The names of the nominees shall be certified immediately by the chairperson of the state committee of each party to the chairperson of the elections board.
8.185
8.185
Write-in candidates for president and vice president. 8.185(1)(1) The names of candidates for president and vice president may be written in, in the place provided, on the general ballot at the general election for choosing the president and vice president of the United States. Write-in votes shall be listed as scattering unless the person whose name is written in has a list of presidential electors on file with the board in accordance with this section or unless the person whose name is written in has received more than 10% of the total vote cast in the ward, or in the municipality if not divided into wards.
8.185(2)
(2) Any candidates for the office of president and vice president of the United States as write-in candidates shall file a list of presidential electors and a declaration of candidacy in the manner prescribed in
s. 8.21 with the board no later than 4:30 p.m. on the 2nd Tuesday preceding the day of the general election to choose the president and vice president of the United States. The list shall contain one presidential elector from each congressional district and 2 electors from the state at large and the names of the candidates for president and vice president for whom they intend to vote, if elected. Compliance with this subsection may be waived by the board but only if the results of the general election indicate that a write-in candidate for the office of president is eligible to receive the electoral votes of this state except for noncompliance with this subsection. In such event, the write-in candidate shall have until 4:30 p.m. on the Friday following the general election to comply with the filing requirements of this subsection.
8.185(3)
(3) If more than one list of presidential electors is filed with the board by any write-in candidates for the offices of president and vice president of the United States, the first list filed shall be considered the valid list, provided that this list meets the additional requirements of this section.
8.185(4)
(4) Write-in votes for president and vice president shall be counted as provided in
s. 7.50 (2) (i).
8.19(1)(1) The state committee of any party polling less than 75,000 presidential votes in this state in the last election may change the name of the party. The new name may not duplicate that of an existing national party. A certificate of approval by the party's national committee which has been certified by the national committee secretary, the state committee chairperson and the state committee secretary shall be filed with the board.
8.19(2)
(2) The new name shall take effect upon certification.
8.19(3)
(3) Every political party entitled, under
s. 5.62, to have its candidates on the September primary and general election ballots has exclusive right to the use of the name designating it at any election involving political parties. The board shall not certify nor the county clerk print the name of any person whose nomination papers indicate a party name comprising a combination of existing party names, qualifying words, phrases, prefixes or suffixes in connection with any existing party name.
8.20
8.20
Nomination of independent candidates. 8.20(1)
(1) Independent nominations may be made for any office to be voted for at any general or partisan special election.
8.20(2)(a)(a) Nomination is by nomination papers. Each nomination paper shall have substantially the following words printed at the top:
I, the undersigned, request that the name of (insert candidate's last name plus first name, nickname or initial, and middle name, former legal surname, nickname or middle initial or initials if desired, but no other abbreviations or titles), residing at (insert candidate's street address) be placed on the ballot at the (general or special) election to be held on (date of election) as a candidate [(representing the (name of party)) or (representing the principle(s) of (statement of principles))] so that voters will have the opportunity to vote for (him or her) for the office of (name of office). I am eligible to vote in the (name of jurisdiction or district in which candidate seeks office). I have not signed the nomination paper of any other candidate for the same office at this election.
8.20(2)(b)
(b) Each candidate shall include his or her mailing address on the candidate's nomination papers.
8.20(2)(c)
(c) In the case of candidates for the offices of president and vice president, the nomination papers shall contain both candidates' names; the office for which each is nominated; the residence and post-office address of each; and the party or principles they represent, if any, in 5 words of less. In the case of candidates for the offices of governor and lieutenant governor, the nomination papers shall contain both candidates' names; the office for which each is nominated; the residence and post-office address of each; and the party or principles they represent, if any, in 5 words or less.
8.20(2)(d)
(d) Nomination papers for president and vice president shall list one candidate for presidential elector from each congressional district and 2 candidates for presidential elector from the state at large who will vote for the candidates for president and vice president, if elected.
8.20(3)
(3) The affidavit of an elector under
s. 8.15 (4) (a) shall be appended to each nomination paper.
8.20(4)
(4) The number of required signatures on nomination papers for independent candidates shall be the same as the number specified in
s. 8.15 (6). For independent presidential electors intending to vote for the same candidates for president and vice president, the number of required signatures shall be not less than 2,000 nor more than 4,000 electors.
8.20(5)
(5) Only one signature per person for the same office is valid. In addition to his or her signature, each signer shall list his or her municipality of residence for voting purposes, the street and number, if any, on which the signer resides, and the date of signing. Signers of each nomination paper shall reside in the same jurisdiction or district which the candidate named therein will represent, if elected.
8.20(6)
(6) Nomination papers shall be accompanied by a declaration of candidacy under
s. 8.21. If a candidate for state or local office has not filed a registration statement under
s. 11.05 at the time he or she files nomination papers, the candidate shall file the statement with the papers. A candidate for state office shall also file a statement of economic interests with the ethics board under
s. 19.43 (4) no later than 4:30 p.m. on the 3rd day following the last day for filing nomination papers under
sub. (8) (a), or no later than 4:30 p.m. on the next business day after the last day whenever that candidate is granted an extension of time for filing nomination papers under
sub. (8) (a).
8.20(7)
(7) Nomination papers shall be filed in the office of the board for all state offices and the offices of U.S. senator and representative in congress, and in the office of county clerk or board of election commissioners for all county offices.
8.20(8)(a)(a) Nomination papers for independent candidates for any office to be voted upon at a general election or September primary and general election, except president, vice president and presidential elector, may be circulated no sooner than June 1 preceding the election and may be filed no later than 5 p.m. on the 2nd Tuesday of July preceding the September primary, except as authorized in this paragraph. If an incumbent fails to file nomination papers and a declaration of candidacy by 5 p.m. on the 2nd Tuesday of July preceding the September primary, all candidates for the office held by the incumbent, other than the incumbent, may file nomination papers no later than 72 hours after the latest time prescribed in this paragraph. No extension of the time for filing nomination papers applies if the incumbent files written notification with the filing officer or agency with whom nomination papers are filed for the office which the incumbent holds, no later than 5 p.m. on the 2nd Friday preceding the latest time prescribed in this paragraph for filing nomination papers, that the incumbent is not a candidate for reelection to his or her office, and the incumbent does not file nomination papers for that office within the time prescribed in this paragraph.
8.20(8)(am)
(am) Nomination papers for independent candidates for president and vice president, and the presidential electors designated to represent them, may be circulated no sooner than August 1 and may be filed not later than 5 p.m. on the first Tuesday in September.
8.20(8)(b)
(b) Nomination papers for independent candidates for any office to be voted upon at a partisan special election shall be circulated and filed as provided in
s. 8.50 (3) (a).
8.20(9)
(9) Persons nominated by nomination papers without a recognized political party designation shall be placed on the official ballot at the general election and at any partisan election to the right or below the recognized political party candidates in their own column or row designated "Independent". At the September primary, persons nominated for state office by nomination papers without a recognized political party designation shall be placed on a separate ballot or row on the voting machine designated "Independent". If the candidate's name already appears under a recognized political party it may not be listed on the independent ballot, column or row.
8.20(10)
(10) Upon filing of nomination papers by any candidate for representative in congress, state senator or representative to the assembly under this section or upon appointment of such a candidate, the board shall provide to the candidate a copy of the map or maps, received under
s. 16.96 (3) (b), required to show the boundaries of the district which the candidate seeks to represent.
