Election legislation roundup: Wisconsin State Assembly

By

Mercedes Yanora

As of Oct. 29, Ballotpedia has tracked 19 election-related bills in the Wisconsin State Assembly since the beginning of the year. Of the 19, Ballotpedia tracked two from Oct. 23-29. Democrats sponsored both bills. The bills are:

  • WI AB498: Voter registration forms and information provided to certain high school students (FE), Reps. Jimmy Anderson (D), Deb Andraca (D), Samba Baldeh (D), Mike Bare (D), Marisabel Cabrera (D), Sue Conley (D), Jodene Emerson (D), Francesca Hong (D), Jenna Jacobson (D), Alex Joers (D), Supreme Moore Omokunde (D), Lori Palmeri (D), Melissa Ratcliff (D), Daniel Riemer (D), Katrina Shankland (D), Kristina Shelton (D), Christine Sinicki (D), Lee Snodgrass (D), Shelia Stubbs (D), and Lisa Subeck (D), and Sens. Melissa Agard (D), Tim Carpenter (D), Dianne Hesselbein (D), La Tonya Johnson (D), Christopher Larson (D), Kelda Roys (D), Jeffrey Smith (D), Mark Spreitzer (D), and Robert Wirch (D).
    • “As introduced, this bill instructs school boards in each district to ensure that high school students who are eligible to vote are provided with voter registration information and forms, and nonpartisan voter information materials.”
  • WI AB516: State aid to the resident school district of a pupil attending a private school under the Racine or statewide parental choice program (FE), Reps. Clinton Anderson (D), Samba Baldeh (D), Alex Joers (D), Darrin Madison (D), Melissa Ratcliff (D), Kristina Shelton (D), Christine Sinicki (D), and Lisa Subeck (D), and Sens. Melissa Agard (D), Tim Carpenter (D), Dianne Hesselbein (D), Christopher Larson (D), Kelda Roys (D), Jeffrey Smith (D), and Mark Spreitzer (D).
    • “As introduced, this bill:
      • Provides that, beginning in the 2024-25 school year, state aid paid to a school district may not be reduced unless it is approved via referendum.
      • Stipulates that a referendum petition must be generated by an individual, committee, or group, with certain petition requirements, and that the petition must contain signatures from at least 20% of those who voted in the last school board election.
      • Clarifies how to certify petition circulators, including circulators signing statements regarding personally circulating a petition, providing full knowledge of content to signers, dating each signature, and the like.
      • Prevents counting signatures that are undated, outside of the circulation period, where an address cannot be verified, and the like.
      • Requires notification of a school district within 10 days of certification of a petition and requires the commission to set a date for the referendum, providing that it may be at the next election if it is within 42 days.”
      • Click the hyperlinked bill number above for more information.

During the week of Oct. 23-29, Ballotpedia tracked five House election-related bills nationally. As of Oct. 29, Ballotpedia has tracked 1,771 House bills nationally. Ballotpedia tracked the most House bills this year in the New York State Assembly and the Texas House of Representatives with 195 each, while Ballotpedia tracked the fewest House bills in the Colorado House of Representatives with seven.

As of Oct. 29, Ballotpedia has tracked 786 House bills in Democratic trifectas and 752 House bills in Republican trifectas. A trifecta is when one political party holds the governorship and majorities in both chambers of the state legislature. Ballotpedia has tracked 233 House bills in states where neither party holds trifecta control. 

The Wisconsin Assembly is scheduled to be in session from Jan. 3 to Dec. 31 this year. In 2022, Ballotpedia tracked 43 House bills related to election administration. None of these bills passed both chambers. Wisconsin is a divided government, meaning neither party holds trifecta control.

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