7.60(4)(a)(a) The board of canvassers shall make separate duplicate statements showing the numbers of votes cast for the offices of president and vice president; state officials; U.S. senators and representatives in congress; state legislators; justice; court of appeals judge; circuit judges; district attorneys; and metropolitan sewerage commissioners, if the commissioners are elected under
s. 200.09 (11) (am). If a municipal judge elected under
s. 755.01 (4) serves a municipality that is located partially within the county and candidates for that judgeship file nomination papers in another county, the board of canvassers shall prepare a duplicate statement showing the numbers of votes cast for that judgeship in that county for transmittal to the other county. For partisan candidates, the statements shall include the political party or principle designation, if any, next to the name of each candidate. The board of canvassers shall also prepare a statement showing the results of any county, technical college district, or statewide referendum. Each statement shall state the total number of votes cast in the county for each office; the names of all persons for whom the votes were cast, as returned; the number of votes cast for each person; and the number of votes cast for and against any question submitted at a referendum. The board of canvassers shall use one copy of each duplicate statement to report to the government accountability board, technical college district board, or board of canvassers of any other county and shall file the other statement in the office of the county clerk or board of election commissioners.
7.60(4)(b)
(b) The board of canvassers shall then prepare a written determination, in duplicate where necessary, giving the names of the persons elected to any county office and to any municipal judgeship if the judge is elected under
s. 755.01 (4) and candidates for that judgeship file nomination papers in that county. The board of canvassers shall likewise prepare a written determination showing the results of any county referendum. Following any primary election, the board of canvassers shall prepare a statement certifying the names of all persons who have won nomination to any county office or any municipal judgeship, if the judge is elected under
s. 755.01 (4) and candidates for that judgeship file nomination papers in that county. The board of canvassers shall file all statements and determinations in the office of the county clerk or board of election commissioners.
7.60(4)(c)
(c) In preparing the statements and determinations, the board of canvassers shall carefully review the tally sheets and inspectors' statement. The board of canvassers may omit the names of individuals whose names do not appear on the ballot and who receive a comparatively small number of votes. The board of canvassers shall designate votes received by such individuals as scattering votes. The board of canvassers shall append to each statement and determination a tabulation of the votes cast at each election district, ward or combination of wards authorized under
s. 5.15 (6) (b) in the county for each office and each individual, whether the votes are canvassed or not, as well as the total canvassed votes cast for each individual and each office, except where scattering votes are designated. If any votes are rejected, the board of canvassers shall specify the reasons therefor.
7.60(4)(d)
(d) Each statement and determination issued under
pars. (a) and
(b) shall be certified as correct and attested to by each canvasser's signature.
7.60(5)(a)(a) Immediately following the canvass, the county clerk shall deliver or transmit to the government accountability board a certified copy of each statement of the county board of canvassers for president and vice president, state officials, senators and representatives in congress, state legislators, justice, court of appeals judge, circuit judge, district attorney, and metropolitan sewerage commissioners, if the commissioners are elected under
s. 200.09 (11) (am). The statement shall record the returns for each office or referendum by ward, unless combined returns are authorized under
s. 5.15 (6) (b) in which case the statement shall record the returns for each group of combined wards. Following primaries the county clerk shall enclose on forms prescribed by the government accountability board the names, party or principle designation, if any, and number of votes received by each candidate recorded in the same manner. The county clerk shall deliver or transmit the certified statement to the government accountability board no later than 9 days after each primary except the partisan primary, no later than 10 days after the partisan primary and any other election except the general election, and no later than 14 days after the general election. The board of canvassers shall deliver or transmit a certified copy of each statement for any technical college district referendum to the secretary of the technical college district board.
7.60(5)(b)
(b) If the board of canvassers becomes aware of a material mistake in the canvass of an election for state or national office or a statewide or technical college district referendum prior to the close of business on the day the government accountability board receives returns from the last county board of canvassers with respect to that canvass, the board of canvassers may petition the government accountability board to reopen and correct the canvass. The government accountability board shall direct the canvass to be reopened and corrected if it determines that the public interest so requires. If the government accountability board directs the canvass to be reopened, the board of canvassers shall reconvene and transmit a certified corrected copy of the canvass statement to the government accountability board or secretary of the technical college district board.
7.60(6)
(6) Certificate of election. Immediately after expiration of the time allowed to file a petition for a recount the county clerk shall issue a certificate of election to each person who is elected to any county office. The certificate notice shall state the amount of the required official bond, if any. When a petition for a recount is filed, the county clerk shall not issue the certificate of election for the office in question until the recount has been completed and the time allowed for filing an appeal has passed, or if appealed until the appeal is decided.
7.60(7)
(7) Official canvass record. After the certificates of election have been prepared under
sub. (6), the county clerk shall retain one copy of the official canvass for county offices and referenda in his or her office for public inspection.
7.60 History
History: 1971 c. 304 s.
29 (2);
1973 c. 334 ss.
14,
57;
1975 c. 93,
199;
1977 c. 187,
427,
449;
1979 c. 221,
260,
355;
1981 c. 4;
1983 a. 442,
484,
538;
1985 a. 89,
304,
332;
1987 a. 391;
1989 a. 31;
1991 a. 316;
1993 a. 399;
1999 a. 150 s.
672;
1999 a. 182;
2001 a. 107,
109;
2005 a. 451;
2007 a. 1;
2011 a. 75,
115.
7.70(1)(1)
Recording and preserving returns. 7.70(1)(a)(a) Upon receipt of the certified statements from the county clerks, the board shall record the election results by counties and file and carefully preserve the statements.
7.70(1)(b)
(b) If any county clerk fails or neglects to forward any statements, the board may require the clerk to do so immediately and if not received by the 8th day after a primary, or by the 11th day after any other election, the board may dispatch a special messenger to obtain them. Whenever it appears upon the face of any statement that an error has been made in reporting or computing, the board may return it to the county clerk for correction.
7.70(3)(a)(a) The chairperson of the board or a designee of the chairperson appointed by the chairperson to canvass a specific election shall publicly canvass the returns and make his or her certifications and determinations on or before the 2nd Tuesday following a spring primary, the 15th day of May following a spring election, the 3rd Wednesday following a partisan primary, the first day of December following a general election, the 2nd Thursday following a special primary, or within 18 days after any special election.
7.70(3)(b)
(b) The chairperson of the board or the chairperson's designee shall examine the certified statements of the county boards of canvassers. If it appears that any material mistake has been made in the computation of votes, or any county board of canvassers failed to canvass the votes or omitted votes from any ward or election district in the county, the chairperson of the board or the chairperson's designee may dispatch a messenger to the county clerk with written instructions to certify the facts concerning the mistake or the reason why the votes were not canvassed. A clerk to whom such instructions are delivered shall immediately make a true and full answer, sign it, affix the county seal and deliver it to the messenger. The messenger shall deliver it with all possible dispatch to the board.
7.70(3)(c)
(c) The chairperson of the board or the chairperson's designee shall conclude the state canvass within 10 days after its commencement.
7.70(3)(d)
(d) When the certified statements and returns are received, the chairperson of the board or the chairperson's designee shall proceed to examine and make a statement of the total number of votes cast at any election for the offices involved in the election for president and vice president; a statement for each of the offices of governor, lieutenant governor, if a primary, and a joint statement for the offices of governor and lieutenant governor, if a general election; a statement for each of the offices of secretary of state, state treasurer, attorney general, and state superintendent; for U.S. senator; representative in congress for each congressional district; the state legislature; justice; court of appeals judge; circuit judge; district attorney; metropolitan sewerage commission, if the commissioners are elected under
s. 200.09 (11) (am); and for any referenda questions submitted by the legislature.
7.70(3)(e)
(e) The chairperson of the board or the chairperson's designee shall make a special statement to the board as soon as possible after the canvass of the general election certifying the name of each political party which receives at least one percent of the vote cast in such election for any statewide office.
7.70(3)(f)
(f) The statements shall show the persons' names receiving votes, and any referenda questions; the whole number of votes given to each; and an individual listing by the districts or counties in which they were given. The names of persons not regularly nominated who received only a comparatively small number of votes may be omitted and their votes designated as scattering votes.
7.70(3)(g)
(g) Following each primary election, the chairperson of the board or the chairperson's designee shall prepare a statement certifying the results of the primary, which shall indicate the names of the persons who have won nomination to any state or national office. Following each other election, the chairperson of the board or the chairperson's designee shall prepare a statement certifying the results of the election and shall attach to the statement a certificate of determination which shall indicate the names of persons who have been elected to any state or national office. The chairperson of the board or the chairperson's designee shall likewise prepare a statement and certificate for any statewide referendum. The chairperson of the board or the chairperson's designee shall deliver each statement and determination to the board.
7.70(3)(h)
(h) Whenever a referendum question submitted to a vote of the people is approved, the board shall record it and the secretary of state shall have the record bound in the volume containing the original enrolled laws passed at the next succeeding session of the legislature and have the record published with the laws thereof. Whenever a constitutional amendment or other statewide validating or ratifying referendum question which is approved by the people does not expressly state the date of effectiveness, it shall become effective at the time the chairperson of the board or the chairperson's designee certifies that the amendment or referendum question is approved.
7.70(3)(i)
(i) The chairperson of the board or the chairperson's designee shall canvass only regular returns made by the county board of canvassers and shall not count or canvass any additional or supplemental returns or statements made by the county board or any other board or person. The chairperson of the board or the chairperson's designee shall not count or canvass any statement or return which has been made by the county board of canvassers at any other time than that provided in
s. 7.60. This provision does not apply to any return made subsequent to a recount under
s. 9.01, when the return is accepted in lieu of any prior return from the same county for the same office; or to a statement given to the chairperson of the board or chairperson's designee or a messenger sent by the chairperson or designee to obtain a correction.
7.70(5)
(5) Certificates of election. 7.70(5)(a)(a) The board shall record in its office each certified statement and determination made by the chairperson of the board or the chairperson's designee. Immediately after the expiration of the time allowed to file a petition for recount, the board shall make and transmit to each person declared elected a certificate of election under the seal of the board. It shall also prepare similar certificates, attested by the administrator of the elections division of the board, addressed to the U.S. house of representatives, stating the names of those persons elected as representatives to the congress from this state. In the case of U.S. senators, the board shall prepare a certificate of election for the governor's signature, and the governor shall sign and affix the great seal of the state and transmit the certificate to the president of the U.S. senate. The certificate shall be countersigned by the secretary of state. If a person elected was elected to fill a vacancy, the certificate shall so state. When a valid petition for recount is filed, the chairperson of the board or the chairperson's designee may not certify a nomination, and the governor or board may not issue a certificate of election until the recount has been completed and the time allowed for filing an appeal has passed, or if appealed until the appeal is decided.
7.70(5)(b)
(b) For presidential electors, the board shall prepare a certificate showing the determination of the results of the canvass and the names of the persons elected, and the governor shall sign, affix the great seal of the state, and transmit the certificate by registered mail to the U.S. administrator of general services. The governor shall also prepare 6 duplicate originals of such certificate and deliver them to one of the presidential electors on or before the first Monday after the 2nd Wednesday in December.
7.70 History
History: 1971 c. 304 s.
29 (2);
1973 c. 334 ss.
15,
57;
1975 c. 93,
199;
1977 c. 107,
187,
427,
449;
1979 c. 221,
260,
328;
1983 a. 484;
1985 a. 89,
304;
1987 a. 391;
1989 a. 31,
192;
1995 a. 16 s.
2;
1997 a. 27;
1999 a. 150 s.
672;
1999 a. 182;
2005 a. 451;
2007 a. 1;
2011 a. 32,
75.
7.70 Annotation
Unless a constitutional amendment provides otherwise, it takes effect upon the certification of a statewide canvass of the votes as provided in sub. (3) (h). The legislature has the authority under Art. XII, s. 1 to adopt reasonable election laws to provide that state constitutional amendments are effective after canvass and certification. State v. Gonzales,
2002 WI 59,
253 Wis. 2d 134,
645 N.W.2d 264,
01-0224.
7.75
7.75
Presidential electors meeting. 7.75(1)
(1) The electors for president and vice president shall meet at the state capitol following the presidential election at 12:00 noon the first Monday after the 2nd Wednesday in December. If there is a vacancy in the office of an elector due to death, refusal to act, failure to attend or other cause, the electors present shall immediately proceed to fill by ballot, by a plurality of votes, the electoral college vacancy. When all electors are present, or the vacancies filled, they shall perform their required duties under the constitution and laws of the United States.
7.75(2)
(2) The presidential electors, when convened, shall vote by ballot for that person for president and that person for vice president who are, respectively, the candidates of the political party which nominated them under
s. 8.18, the candidates whose names appeared on the nomination papers filed under
s. 8.20, or the candidate or candidates who filed their names under
s. 8.185 (2), except that at least one of the persons for whom the electors vote may not be an inhabitant of this state. A presidential elector is not required to vote for a candidate who is deceased at the time of the meeting.
7.75 History
History: 1979 c. 246.
7.80
7.80
Notice of election. Personal service or service by first class mail of a certificate of election is official notification for all legal purposes to any person of his or her election to office.
7.80 History
History: 1977 c. 427.
