7.37(7)
(7) Poll lists. Two inspectors shall be assigned to have charge of the poll lists at each election.
7.37(8)
(8) Electronic voting systems. Prior to the opening of the polling place, wherever electronic voting systems employing voting devices are used, the inspectors shall place the voting devices in position for voting and examine them to see that they are in proper working order.
7.37(9)
(9) Posting sample ballots. Two sample ballots sent by the municipal clerk shall be posted by the inspectors near the entrance to the polling place for public inspection throughout the day.
7.37(10)
(10) Challenged electors. If any person is challenged for cause, the inspectors shall proceed under
ss. 6.92 and
6.925 and with the aid of other provisions of
ch. 6 as appear applicable, shall resolve the challenge.
7.37(11)
(11) Spoiled ballots. Any spoiled ballot returned to an inspector under
s. 6.80 (2) (c) shall be immediately destroyed by one of the inspectors.
7.37(12)
(12) Canvassers. The election inspectors shall constitute the board of canvassers of their polling place and in that capacity shall perform the duties under
s. 7.51, except as otherwise designated by the municipal clerk under
ss. 5.85 and
5.86.
7.37(13)
(13) Closing of polls. For each polling place, the municipal clerk shall designate an official of the municipality who shall position himself or herself at the end of the line of individuals waiting to vote, if any, at the time that the polls officially close. The official may be an inspector or special registration deputy appointed under
s. 6.55 (6) who serves at that polling place, an employee of the municipal clerk or a police officer. Only individuals in line ahead of the official shall be permitted to vote under
s. 6.78 (4).
7.37 Annotation
The requirement under sub. (4) that each ballot be initialed by 2 inspectors is directory, not mandatory, when the number of votes is equal to the number of electors. Roth v. LaFarge School District Board of Canvassers, 2001 WI App 221,
247 Wis. 2d 708,
634 N.W.2d 882,
01-0160.
7.38
7.38
Vacancies after nomination. 7.38(1)
(1) Except as provided in
sub. (4), after the death of a candidate nominated for a partisan office, either in a primary or when no primary is required under
s. 8.50 (3) (b), the vacancy may be filled by the candidate's political party. In the case of county offices, the vacancy shall be filled by the chairperson of the county committee. If no county committee exists, the vacancy shall be filled by the chairperson of the state committee. For other offices, the vacancy shall be filled by the chairperson of the state committee. The appropriate chairperson shall file with the official or agency with whom nomination papers are filed for the office a certificate signed, certified and sworn to the same as an original nomination paper. The certificate shall state the cause of the vacancy, the name of the new nominee and the office for which the nomination is made. A political party may not nominate a candidate for an office for which no person representing that party has filed nomination papers and a declaration of candidacy.
7.38(2)
(2) The certificate shall be filed within 4 days of the date of notification of the vacancy and shall have the same effect as original nomination papers.
7.38(3)
(3) If the vacancy occurs after ballots have been printed in any county or municipality, the chairperson of the committee filling the vacancy shall supply the municipal clerk with stickers containing the name of the new nominee only. The stickers may be no larger than the space provided on the ballot for the original candidate's name and office.
7.38(4)
(4) There can be no vacancy in nomination prior to a party primary, except when no primary is required under
s. 8.50 (3) (b).
7.38(5)
(5) In the event of failure to file the name of a current state chairperson, as required under
s. 8.17 (12), the board may not recognize the state committee for the purpose of filling vacancies under
sub. (1).
7.40
7.40
Sample ballots. Any individual, committee or candidate, at their own expense, subject to limitations upon contributions and disbursements under
ch. 11, may print a supply of sample ballots, provided they bear on their face the information required by
s. 11.30 (2) and they contain all the names shown on the official ballot.
7.40 History
History: 1987 a. 391 s.
46m.
7.41
7.41
Public's right to access. 7.41(1)
(1) Any member of the public may be present at any polling place, in the office of any municipal clerk whose office is located in a public building on any day that absentee ballots may be cast in that office, or at an alternate site under
s. 6.855 on any day that absentee ballots may be cast at that site for the purpose of observation of an election and the absentee ballot voting process, except a candidate whose name appears on the ballot at the polling place or on an absentee ballot to be cast at the clerk's office or alternate site at that election. The chief inspector or municipal clerk may reasonably limit the number of persons representing the same organization who are permitted to observe under this subsection at the same time.
7.41(2)
(2) The chief inspector or municipal clerk may restrict the location of any individual exercising the right under
sub. (1) to certain areas within a polling place, the clerk's office, or alternate site under
s. 6.855. The chief inspector or municipal clerk shall clearly designate such an area as an observation area. Designated observation areas shall be so positioned to permit any authorized individual to readily observe all public aspects of the voting process.
7.41(3)
(3) The chief inspector or municipal clerk may order the removal of any individual exercising the right under
sub. (1) if that individual commits an overt act which:
7.41(3)(a)
(a) Disrupts the operation of the polling place, clerk's office, or alternate site under
s. 6.855; or
7.41(4)
(4) No individual exercising the right under
sub. (1) may view the confidential portion of a registration list maintained under
s. 6.36 (4) or a poll list maintained under
s. 6.79 (6). However, the inspectors or municipal clerk shall disclose to such an individual, 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 in the proceedings. No such individual may view the certificate of an absent elector who obtains a confidential listing under
s. 6.47 (2).
7.41(5)
(5) The board may promulgate rules that are consistent with the requirements of
sub. (2) regarding the proper conduct of individuals exercising the right under
sub. (1), including the interaction of those individuals with inspectors and other election officials.
CANVASS OF RETURNS AND CERTIFICATION
7.50
7.50
Elector intent. 7.50(1)(1)
Requirements and restrictions. 7.50(1)(a)(a) Except as provided in
s. 7.15 (6), only ballots provided by the person authorized to have them printed shall be cast and counted in any election.
7.50(1)(b)
(b) When an elector casts more votes for any office or measure than he or she is entitled to cast at an election, all the elector's votes for that office or measure are invalid and the elector is deemed to have voted for none of them, except as provided in
par. (c) and
sub. (2) (d). If an elector casts less votes for any office or measure than he or she is entitled to cast at an election, all votes cast by the elector shall be counted but no vote shall be counted more than once.
7.50(1)(c)
(c) If an elector casts more than one vote for the same candidate for the same office, the first vote is valid and the remaining votes are invalid.
7.50(1)(d)
(d) Whenever an electronic voting system is used at a polling place in a partisan primary, and the same ballot is utilized to cast votes for candidates of more than one recognized political party or candidates of a party and independent candidates, if an elector designates a preference for a party or for independent candidates, only votes cast within that preference category may be counted. If an elector does not designate a preference and makes a mark or affixes a sticker opposite candidates of more than one recognized political party or opposite a candidate in the independent candidates' column and a candidate of a recognized political party, no votes cast by the elector for any candidate for partisan office are valid. Votes for other candidates and votes on ballot questions, if any, shall be counted if otherwise valid.
7.50(2)
(2) Ascertainment of intent. All ballots cast at an election which bear the initials of 2 inspectors shall be counted for the person or referendum question for whom or for which they were intended, so far as the electors' intent can be ascertained from the ballots notwithstanding informality or failure to fully comply with other provisions of
chs. 5 to
12. To determine intent:
7.50(2)(a)
(a) At a general election, if the elector places a mark, symbol or sticker under a party designation at the head of a column in or near the space indicated for that purpose, it is a vote for all the candidates whose names appear in the marked column except as otherwise provided in this paragraph. If a name is stricken, it is not a vote for that candidate. If a name is written in, it is a vote for the write-in candidate. If a sticker is attached it is a vote for the candidate whose name appears on the sticker. If in some other column there is a mark in the square to the right of a specific candidate's name or at the place designated on the ballot for marking a vote for a specific candidate for the same office, it is a vote for that specific candidate and no vote may be counted for the candidate for the same office in the column marked for a straight party vote.
7.50(2)(b)
(b) A ballot cast without any marks or stickers may not be counted. A ballot without a mark at the top of a party column may be counted only for persons for whom marks are applicable.
7.50(2)(c)
(c) If an elector marks a ballot with a cross (7), or any other marks, as |, A, V, O, /, ✓, +, within the square to the right of a candidate's name, or any place within the space in which the name appears, indicating an intent to vote for that candidate, it is a vote for the candidate whose name it is opposite.
7.50(2)(cm)
(cm) Any apparent erasure of a mark next to the name of a candidate may not be counted as a vote for that candidate if the elector makes another mark next to the name of one or more different candidates for the same office and counting of the mark would result in an excess number of votes cast for the office.
7.50(2)(d)
(d) If an elector writes a person's name in the proper space for write-in candidates for an office, it is a vote for the person written in for the office indicated, regardless of whether the elector strikes the names appearing in the same column for the same office, or places a mark by the same or any other name for the same office, or omits placing a mark to the right of the name written in. If an elector is permitted to vote for more than one candidate for the same office in an election and casts one or more write-in votes which, when added to the votes cast for candidates whose names appear on the ballot, exceed the number of votes authorized to be cast for the office, the write-in votes shall be counted and the votes for candidates whose names appear on the ballot may not be counted, unless there are more write-in votes than votes authorized to be cast, in which case no votes may be counted for the office.
7.50(2)(e)
(e) No write-in vote shall be regarded as defective due to misspelling a candidate's name, or by abbreviation, addition, omission or use of a wrong initial in the name. Every vote shall be counted for the candidate for whom it was intended, if the elector's intent can be ascertained from the ballot itself.
7.50(2)(f)
(f) If a sticker applied to the ballot lists a candidate's name and the office which the candidate seeks, it is a vote for the name appearing on the sticker even if the sticker does not contain a box or the elector omits the cross to the right of the name, or makes a cross in another column for a candidate for the same office. If a sticker is pasted over the name of any candidate printed on the ballot, it is a vote for the candidate shown on the sticker but no vote may be counted for the candidate over which the sticker is pasted. Only stickers appearing on the face of the ballot may be counted.
7.50(2)(g)
(g) In partisan primaries, if an elector writes in the name of an individual on a ballot other than the one on which that individual's name is shown as a candidate, the write-in vote may not be counted.
7.50(2)(h)
(h) In the general election or a partisan special election, a write-in vote may not be counted for any candidate if the candidate's name appears on the official ballot, except a write-in vote cast for the same office under which the candidate's name appears if no other similar name appears on the ballot for any office.
7.50(2)(hm)
(hm) In a nonpartisan primary or election using voting machines if an elector is permitted to vote for more than one candidate for the same office, a write-in vote may not be counted if the vote is cast for a candidate whose name appears on the ballot for that office.
7.50(2)(i)
(i) The failure by an elector to write in the name of a candidate for the office of vice president of the United States on the general election ballot does not invalidate the elector's vote for any candidate whose name is written in for the office of president of the United States. The failure of an elector to write in the name of a candidate for the office of president of the United States on the general election ballot invalidates the elector's vote for any candidate whose name is written in for the office of vice president of the United States. The failure of an elector to write in the name of a candidate for the office of governor or lieutenant governor on the general election ballot does not invalidate the elector's vote for any candidate whose name is written in for the office of governor or lieutenant governor alone.
7.50(2)(im)
(im) If an elector votes for an independent candidate for the office of governor or lieutenant governor but does not vote for any candidate as a running mate of that candidate for the office of lieutenant governor or governor, the vote cast by the elector shall be recorded as a vote cast for both offices and shall not be cumulated with a vote cast by any other elector for the same candidate for the same office jointly with any vote cast for a running mate of that candidate. If an elector votes for independent candidates for the offices of governor and lieutenant governor, the vote cast by the elector shall not be cumulated with a vote cast by any other elector for one but not both of the candidates for whom the elector casts his or her vote.
7.50(2)(j)
(j) If an elector writes in or pastes a sticker in the position for an office, it is a vote for that office, even if the elector writes in or the sticker indicates the name of a different office.
7.50 Annotation
A board of canvassers may use its discretion and make findings only when the standards of a statute do not apply. Sub. (2) (c) minimizes a board's discretion. When there is a qualifying mark in a qualifying place on the ballot the vote should be counted. Roth v. LaFarge School District, 2004 WI 6,
268 Wis. 2d 335,
677 N.W.2d 599,
02-0542.
7.51
7.51
Local board of canvassers. 7.51(1)
(1)
Canvass procedure. Immediately after the polls close the inspectors except any inspector appointed under
s. 7.30 (1) (b) shall proceed to canvass publicly all votes received at the polling place. In any municipality where an electronic voting system is used, the municipal governing body or board of election commissioners may provide or authorize the municipal clerk or executive director of the board of election commissioners to provide for the adjournment of the canvass to one or more central counting locations for specified polling places in the manner prescribed in
subch. III of ch. 5. No central counting location may be used to count votes at a polling place where an electronic voting system is not employed. The canvass, whether conducted at the polling place or at a central counting location, shall continue without adjournment until the canvass is completed and the return statement is made or, in municipalities where absentee ballots are canvassed under
s. 7.52, until the canvass of all ballots cast is completed and the return statement for those ballots is made. The inspectors shall not permit access to the name of any elector who has obtained a confidential listing under
s. 6.47 (2) during the canvass, except as authorized in
s. 6.47 (8).
7.51(2)(a)(a) The inspectors shall first compare the poll lists, correcting any mistakes until the poll lists agree. The chief inspector and the inspectors who are responsible for recording electors under
s. 6.79 shall verify the correctness of the poll lists after the polls close by each signing their name thereto. Where ballots are distributed to electors, the inspectors shall then open the ballot box and remove and count the number of ballots therein without examination except as is necessary to ascertain that each is a single ballot. If 2 or more ballots are folded together so as to appear as a single ballot, the inspectors shall lay them aside until the count is completed; and if, after a comparison of the count and the appearance of the ballots it appears to a majority of the inspectors that the ballots folded together were voted by the same person they may not be counted but the inspectors shall mark them as to the reason for removal, set them aside and carefully preserve them. The inspectors shall then proceed under
par. (b).
7.51(2)(b)
(b) When during the counting of the ballots cast at an election a majority of the inspectors find that a ballot is so defective that they cannot determine with reasonable certainty for whom it was cast, they shall so mark the ballot and preserve it. The inspectors shall not count the vote cast on the ballot for any office for which they determine the ballot to be defective.
7.51(2)(c)
(c) Whenever the number of ballots exceeds the number of voting electors as indicated on the poll list, the inspectors shall place all ballots face up to check for blank ballots. In this paragraph, "blank ballot" means a ballot on which no votes are cast for any office or question. The inspectors shall mark, lay aside and preserve any blank ballots. Except in municipalities where absentee ballots are canvassed under
s. 7.52, if the number of ballots still exceeds the number of voting electors, the inspectors shall place all ballots face down and proceed to check for the initials. The inspectors shall mark, lay aside and preserve any ballot not bearing the initials of 2 inspectors or any absentee ballot not bearing the initials of the municipal clerk. During the count the inspectors shall count those ballots cast by challenged electors the same as the other ballots.
7.51(2)(d)
(d) The inspectors shall keep a written statement, in duplicate, of the number of ballots set aside and the number of defective ballots and challenged ballots. The statement shall contain a record of the reasons for setting aside each ballot and the reasons why each defective or challenged ballot is defective or challenged. The inspectors shall certify that the statement is correct, sign it, and attach it to the tally sheets.
7.51(2)(e)
(e) Except in municipalities where absentee ballots are canvassed under
s. 7.52, if after any ballots have been laid aside, the number of ballots still exceeds the total number of electors recorded on the poll list, the inspectors shall separate the absentee ballots from the other ballots. If there is an excess number of absentee ballots, the inspectors shall place the absentee ballots in the ballot box and one of the inspectors shall publicly and without examination draw therefrom by chance the number of ballots equal to the excess number of absentee ballots. If there is an excess number of nonabsentee ballots, the inspectors shall place those ballots in the ballot box and one of the inspectors shall publicly and without examination draw therefrom by chance the number of ballots equal to the excess number of those ballots. All ballots so removed may not be counted but shall be specially marked as having been removed by the inspectors on original canvass due to an excess number of ballots, set aside and preserved. When the number of ballots and total shown on the poll list agree, the inspectors shall return all ballots to be counted to the ballot box and shall turn the ballot box in such manner as to thoroughly mix the ballots. The inspectors shall then open, count and record the number of votes. When the ballots are counted, the inspectors shall separate them into piles for ballots similarly voted. Objections may be made to placement of ballots in the piles at the time the separation is made.
7.51(2)(f)
(f) If corrected ballots are distributed under
s. 5.72 (3) or
7.10 (3), only the votes cast on the corrected ballots may be counted for any office or referendum in which the original ballots differ from the corrected ballots.
7.51(2)(g)
(g) Immediately after the polls close, where voting machines are used, the inspectors shall open the registering or recording compartments or remove the record of the votes cast and shall canvass, record, announce and return on the tally sheets and certificates furnished. In recording the votes registered on any counter which, before the opening of the polls, did not register 000, the inspectors shall upon the return sheets subtract the number registered before the polls opened from the number registered when the polls closed. The difference between the 2 numbers is the correct vote for the candidate whose name was represented by the counter, except if the number registered on the counter when the polls closed is smaller than the number registered thereon when the polls opened, the number 1,000 shall be added to the number registered when the polls closed, before the subtraction is made.
7.51(2)(h)
(h) Where a voting machine is used which produces a written record of the total votes cast for each candidate or referendum, the written record shall be presumed correct without reference to the total shown on the recorder in making its original statement, unless an error in the record is clearly apparent or unless a candidate at the election, or in the canvass of a referendum an elector who voted at the referendum, requests that the machine be viewed.
7.51(3)(a)(a) The inspectors shall place together all ballots counted by them which relate to any national, state or county office or any state, county or technical college district referendum and secure them together so that they cannot be untied or tampered with without breaking the seal. The secured ballots together with any ballots marked "Defective" shall then be secured by the inspectors in the ballot container in such a manner that the container cannot be opened without breaking the seals or locks, or destroying the container. The inspectors shall place the ballots cast under
s. 6.97 in a separate, securely sealed carrier envelope which is clearly marked "
Section 6.97 ballots". The chief inspector and 2 other inspectors shall sign the carrier envelope. The carrier envelope shall not be placed in the ballot container. The inspectors shall then deliver the ballots to the municipal clerk in the ballot container and carrier envelope.
7.51(3)(b)
(b) For ballots which relate only to municipal or school district offices or referenda, the inspectors, in lieu of
par. (a), after counting the ballots shall return them to the proper ballot boxes, lock the boxes, paste paper over the slots, sign their names to the paper and deliver them and the keys therefor to the municipal or school district clerk. The clerk shall retain the ballots until destruction is authorized under
s. 7.23.
7.51(3)(c)
(c) Where voting machines are used, as soon as the count is complete and fully recorded, the inspectors shall seal, close and lock the machine, or remove the record so it cannot be voted on or tampered with. They shall then proceed to separately canvass and return any paper ballots voted under
s. 5.40 (3) to
(6). The inspectors shall count the challenged ballots the same as other ballots. Upon completion of the canvass, the inspectors shall return the paper ballots in a separate envelope marked "Paper Ballots". The inspectors shall place the record of write-in votes cast on the machines in an envelope marked "Write-In Votes". The inspectors shall return the paper ballots and write-in votes along with any printed voting record produced by the voting machines to the clerk under
par. (a) or
(b) or to the board of election commissioners. The inspectors shall place the envelopes and printed voting record in a properly sealed bag or container, indicating the ward or wards and county.
7.51(3)(d)
(d) Except in municipalities where absentee ballots are canvassed under
s. 7.52, all absentee certificate envelopes which have been opened shall be returned by the inspectors to the municipal clerk in a securely sealed carrier envelope which is clearly marked "used absentee certificate envelopes". The envelopes shall be signed by the chief inspector and 2 other inspectors. Except when the ballots are used in a municipal or school district election only, the municipal clerk shall transmit the used envelopes to the county clerk.
7.51(4)(a)(a) The tally sheets shall state the total number of votes cast for each office and for each individual receiving votes for that office, whether or not the individual's name appears on the ballot, and shall state the vote for and against each proposition voted on. Upon completion of the tally sheets, the inspectors shall immediately complete the inspectors' statement. The inspectors shall state the excess, if any, by which the number of ballots exceeds the number of electors voting as shown by the poll list and shall state the number of the last elector as shown by the poll lists. At least 3 inspectors, including the chief inspector and, unless election officials are appointed under
s. 7.30 (4) (c) without regard to party affiliation, at least one inspector representing each political party, but not including any inspector appointed under
s. 7.30 (1) (b), shall then certify to the correctness of the statement and tally sheets and sign their names. All other election officials assisting with the tally shall also certify to the correctness of the tally sheets. When the tally is complete, the inspectors shall publicly announce the results from the statement.
7.51(4)(b)
(b) The chief inspector, or one of the inspectors appointed by him or her, immediately after the votes are tabulated or counted at each election, shall report the returns of the election to the municipal clerk or to the school district clerk for school district elections, except in 1st class cities. The clerk shall then make the returns public.
7.51(5)(a)1.1. The inspectors shall make full and accurate return of the votes cast for each candidate and proposition on tally sheet forms provided by the municipal clerk for that purpose. Each tally sheet shall record the returns for each office or referendum by ward, unless combined returns are authorized in accordance with
s. 5.15 (6) (b) in which case the tally sheet shall record the returns for each group of combined wards.
7.51(5)(a)2.
2. After recording the votes, the inspectors shall seal in a carrier envelope outside the ballot bag or container one tally sheet and one poll list for delivery to the county clerk, unless the election relates only to municipal or school district offices or referenda.
7.51(5)(a)3.
3. The inspectors shall also seal the inspectors' statement, inside a separate carrier envelope, and shall similarly seal in a separate carrier envelope one tally sheet and one poll list for delivery to the municipal clerk. For school district elections, except in 1st class cities, the inspectors shall seal one tally sheet and one poll list for delivery to the school district clerk.
7.51(5)(a)4.
4. The inspectors shall immediately deliver all ballots, statements, tally sheets, lists, and envelopes to the municipal clerk.
7.51(5)(a)5.
5. Upon receipt of the materials under
subd. 4., the municipal clerk shall make sufficient copies of the inspectors' statement under
sub. (4) (a) and seal one copy of the statement inside a carrier envelope together with the envelope containing any materials required to be delivered to the county clerk or the school district clerk. The municipal clerk shall retain the original inspectors' statement.
7.51(5)(b)
(b) The municipal clerk shall deliver all ballots, statements, tally sheets, lists, and envelopes relating to a school district election to the school district clerk by 4 p.m. on the day following each such election. The municipal clerk shall deliver the ballots, statements, tally sheets, lists, and envelopes for his or her municipality relating to any county, technical college district, state, or national election to the county clerk no later than 4 p.m. on the day following each such election or, in municipalities where absentee ballots are canvassed under
s. 7.52, by 4 p.m. on the 2nd day following each such election, and no later than 4 p.m. on the day after receiving any corrected returns under
s. 6.221 (6) (b). The person delivering the returns shall be paid out of the municipal treasury. Each clerk shall retain ballots, statements, tally sheets, or envelopes received by the clerk until destruction is authorized under
s. 7.23 (1).
7.51(6)
(6) Electronic voting systems. The procedure for canvassing of votes cast at polling places utilizing an electronic voting system in which ballots are distributed to electors shall follow the procedure for canvassing paper ballots insofar as applicable, and the procedure for canvassing of votes cast at polling places utilizing an electronic voting machine shall follow the procedure for canvassing of mechanical voting machines insofar as applicable, except as otherwise provided in
ss. 5.85 to
5.89.
7.51 History
History: 1971 c. 304 s.
29 (2);
1977 c. 29;
1977 c. 394 s.
53;
1977 c. 427,
447;
1979 c. 260 ss.
36,
48;
1979 c. 311;
1981 c. 4,
391;
1983 a. 183,
442;
1983 a. 484 ss.
76,
77,
172 (3);
1983 a. 538;
1985 a. 120,
304;
1987 a. 391;
1989 a. 56,
192;
1993 a. 399;
1997 a. 127;
1999 a. 49,
182;
2001 a. 107,
109;
2003 a. 265;
2005 a. 451;
2007 a. 96.
7.51 Cross-reference
Cross-reference: See also ch.
GAB 5, Wis. adm. code.
7.52
7.52
Canvassing of absentee ballots. 7.52(1)(a)(a) The governing body of any municipality may provide by ordinance that, in lieu of canvassing absentee ballots at polling places under
s. 6.88, the municipal board of absentee ballot canvassers designated under
s. 7.53 (2m) shall canvass all absentee ballots at all elections held in the municipality. Prior to enacting an ordinance under this subsection, the municipal clerk or board of election commissioners of the municipality shall notify the board in writing of the proposed enactment and shall consult with the board concerning administration of this section. At every election held in the municipality following enactment of an ordinance under this subsection, the board of absentee ballot canvassers shall, any time after the opening of the polls and before 10 p.m. on election day, publicly convene to count the absentee ballots for the municipality. The municipal clerk shall give at least 48 hours' notice of any meeting under this subsection. Any member of the public has the same right of access to a meeting of the municipal board of absentee ballot canvassers under this subsection that the individual would have under
s. 7.41 to observe the proceedings at a polling place. The board of absentee ballot canvassers may order the removal of any individual exercising the right to observe the proceedings if the individual disrupts the meeting.
7.52(1)(b)
(b) A municipality that adopts the canvassing procedure under this section may appoint additional inspectors under
s. 7.30 (2) (a) to assist the absentee ballot board of canvassers in canvassing absentee ballots under this section. In such case, an odd number of inspectors shall be appointed, and at no time may there be less than 3 inspectors who serve. Except as authorized in
s. 7.30 (4) (c), all inspectors shall be affiliated with one of the 2 recognized political parties receiving the largest numbers of votes for president, or for governor in nonpresidential general election years, in the municipality. The party whose candidate received the largest number of votes in the municipality is entitled to one more inspector than the party whose candidate received the next largest number of votes in the municipality. Each inspector so appointed shall be a qualified elector of the municipality. The inspectors who are appointed under this paragraph shall serve under the direction and supervision of the board of absentee ballot canvassers.
7.52(1)(c)
(c) In each municipality where absentee ballots are canvassed under this section, no later than the closing hour of the polls, the municipal clerk shall post at his or her office and on the Internet at a site announced by the clerk before the polls open, and shall make available to any person upon request, a statement of the number of absentee ballots that the clerk has mailed or transmitted to electors and that have been returned by the closing hour on election day. The posting shall not include the names or addresses of any electors.
7.52(2)
(2) In counting the absentee ballots, the board of absentee ballot canvassers shall use 2 duplicate copies of a single poll list for the entire municipality prepared in accordance with
s. 6.36 (2). Upon accepting each absentee ballot, the board of absentee ballot canvassers shall enter a poll list number on the poll list next to the name of the elector who voted the ballot, beginning with the number one. If the elector's name does not appear on the poll list, the board of absentee ballot canvassers shall enter the number on a separate list maintained under this subsection.
7.52(3)(a)(a) The board of absentee ballot canvassers shall first open the carrier envelope only, and, in such a manner that a member of the public, if he or she desired, could hear, announce the name of the absent elector or the identification serial number of the absent elector if the elector has a confidential listing under
s. 6.47 (2). When the board of absentee ballot canvassers finds that the certification has been properly executed and the applicant is a qualified elector of the ward or election district, the board of absentee ballot canvassers shall enter an indication on the poll list next to the applicant's name indicating an absentee ballot is cast by the elector. The board of absentee ballot canvassers shall then open the envelope containing the ballot in a manner so as not to deface or destroy the certification thereon. The board of absentee ballot canvassers shall take out the ballot without unfolding it or permitting it to be unfolded or examined. Unless the ballot is cast under
s. 6.95, the board of absentee ballot canvassers shall verify that the ballot has been endorsed by the issuing clerk. If the poll list indicates that proof of residence is required and no proof of residence is enclosed or the name or address on the document that is provided is not the same as the name and address shown on the poll list, the board of absentee ballot canvassers shall proceed as provided under
s. 6.97 (2). The board of absentee ballot canvassers shall mark the poll list number of each elector who casts an absentee ballot on the back of the elector's ballot. The board of absentee ballot canvassers shall then deposit the ballot into the proper ballot box and enter the absent elector's name or poll list number after his or her name on the poll list.
