Election legislation roundup: Wisconsin State Legislature

By

Mercedes Yanora

As of Nov. 19, members of the Wisconsin State Legislature, which includes the Wisconsin State Assembly and the Wisconsin State Senate, have passed five bills related to election administration since the beginning of the year. Of those five bills, legislators passed four during the week of Nov. 13-19. Republicans sponsored the four bills. The bills are:   

  • WI AB396: Fees for obtaining the official voter registration list (FE), Reps. David Armstrong (R), Amy Binsfeld (R), Ty Bodden (R), Janel Brandtjen (R), Robert Donovan (R), Nate Gustafson (R), Gae Magnafici (R), Dave Maxey (R), David Murphy (R), Peter Schmidt (R), David Steffen (R), Paul Tittl (R), and Chuck Wichgers (R), and Sens. Andre Jacque (R), Dan Knodl (R), Stephen Nass (R), Duey Stroebel (R), and Cory Tomczyk (R).
    • “As introduced, this bill sets the fee for a person to obtain an electronic copy of the voter registration list at $250 or less. A physical copy of the list may require an additional fee.” 
  • WI SJR71: Eligibility to vote in Wisconsin (second consideration), Reps. Scott Allen (R), David Armstrong (R), Tyler August (R), Elijah Behnke (R), Amy Binsfeld (R), Ty Bodden (R), Mark Born (R), Janel Brandtjen (R), Robert Brooks (R), Calvin Callahan (R), Alex Dallman (R), Barbara Dittrich (R), Cindi Duchow (R), James Edming (R), Joy Goeben (R), Chanz Green (R), Rick Gundrum (R), Nate Gustafson (R), Karen Hurd (R), Scott Johnson (R), Gae Magnafici (R), Dave Maxey (R), Paul Melotik (R), Tom Michalski (R), Clint Moses (R), David Murphy (R), Jeffrey Mursau (R), Amanda Nedweski (R), Jerry O’Connor (R), William Penterman (R), Kevin Petersen (R), Jon Plumer (R), Nik Rettinger (R), Donna Rozar (R), Peter Schmidt (R), Michael Schraa (R), Ellen Schutt (R), Patrick Snyder (R), Robert Summerfield (R), Robert Swearingen (R), and Robert Wittke (R), and Sens. Joan Ballweg (R), Julian Bradley (R), Rachael Cabral-Guevara (R), Mary Felzkowski (R), Andre Jacque (R), John Jagler (R), Howard Marklein (R), Stephen Nass (R), Romaine Quinn (R), Rob Stafsholt (R), Duey Stroebel (R), Patrick Testin (R), Cory Tomczyk (R), and Van Wanggaard (R).
    • “As introduced, this bill proposes a constitutional amendment to be submitted to voters to decide whether or not to specify a qualified voter can only be a U.S. citizen 18 years or older. The amendment would also define a qualified voter as one who is a resident of an election district and specify that a qualified voter may be able to vote in an election for national, state, or local office or at a statewide or local referendum.”
  • WI SJR78: Prohibiting state and local governments from using privately sourced moneys or equipment in connection with the conduct of elections and specifying who may perform tasks related to the conduct of an election (second consideration), Reps. Scott Allen (R), David Armstrong (R), Tyler August (R), Elijah Behnke (R), Amy Binsfeld (R), Ty Bodden (R), Mark Born (R), Janel Brandtjen (R), Robert Brooks (R), Calvin Callahan (R), Alex Dallman (R), Barbara Dittrich (R), Robert Donovan (R), Cindi Duchow (R), James Edming (R), Joy Goeben (R), Chanz Green (R), Rick Gundrum (R), Nate Gustafson (R), Karen Hurd (R), Scott Johnson (R), Gae Magnafici (R), Dave Maxey (R), Paul Melotik (R), Clint Moses (R), David Murphy (R), Jeffrey Mursau (R), Amanda Nedweski (R), Jerry O’Connor (R), William Penterman (R), Kevin Petersen (R), Jon Plumer (R), Nik Rettinger (R), Donna Rozar (R), Peter Schmidt (R), Ellen Schutt (R), Patrick Snyder (R), Shae Sortwell (R), David Steffen (R), Robert Summerfield (R), Robert Swearingen (R), and Robert Wittke (R), and Sens. Joan Ballweg (R), Rachael Cabral-Guevara (R), Robert Cowles (R), Mary Felzkowski (R), Daniel Feyen (R), Howard Marklein (R), Stephen Nass (R), Rob Stafsholt (R), Duey Stroebel (R), Patrick Testin (R), Cory Tomczyk (R), Van Wanggaard (R), and Eric Wimberger (R).
    • “As introduced, this bill proposes a constitutional amendment in the form of two ballot questions to be presented to voters in April 2023. These ballot questions relate to prohibiting the use of private funds in conducting elections and requiring election officials to perform election-related tasks. In Wisconsin, proposed constitutional amendments must pass the legislature in consecutive sessions and voters must approve them before they are adopted. This is the second consideration of this proposed amendment; the first passed the legislature in 2021.”
  • WI SB98: Verifying citizenship of individuals on the official voter registration list and contents of operator’s licenses and identification cards (FE), Reps. Scott Allen (R), David Armstrong (R), Elijah Behnke (R), Amy Binsfeld (R), Janel Brandtjen (R), Robert Brooks (R), Barbara Dittrich (R), Cindi Duchow (R), James Edming (R), Chanz Green (R), Rick Gundrum (R), Joel Kitchens (R), Gae Magnafici (R), Tom Michalski (R), Clint Moses (R), David Murphy (R), Jeffrey Mursau (R), Adam Neylon (R), Jerry O’Connor (R), Nik Rettinger (R), Donna Rozar (R), Michael Schraa (R), Paul Tittl (R), and Ron Tusler (R), and Sens. Julian Bradley (R), Rachael Cabral-Guevara (R), Robert Cowles (R), Dan Knodl (R), Stephen Nass (R), Duey Stroebel (R), and Cory Tomczyk (R).
    • “As introduced, this bill requires the department of transportation to provide the elections commission access to personally identifiable information in order to verify that individuals on the voter registration list are U.S. citizens.” 

Of the five bills passed this year, three have been enacted. Republicans sponsored the three bills. The bills are: 

  • WI SJR71: Eligibility to vote in Wisconsin (second consideration), Reps. Scott Allen (R), David Armstrong (R), Tyler August (R), Elijah Behnke (R), Amy Binsfeld (R), Ty Bodden (R), Mark Born (R), Janel Brandtjen (R), Robert Brooks (R), Calvin Callahan (R), Alex Dallman (R), Barbara Dittrich (R), Cindi Duchow (R), James Edming (R), Joy Goeben (R), Chanz Green (R), Rick Gundrum (R), Nate Gustafson (R), Karen Hurd (R), Scott Johnson (R), Gae Magnafici (R), Dave Maxey (R), Paul Melotik (R), Tom Michalski (R), Clint Moses (R), David Murphy (R), Jeffrey Mursau (R), Amanda Nedweski (R), Jerry O’Connor (R), William Penterman (R), Kevin Petersen (R), Jon Plumer (R), Nik Rettinger (R), Donna Rozar (R), Peter Schmidt (R), Michael Schraa (R), Ellen Schutt (R), Patrick Snyder (R), Robert Summerfield (R), Robert Swearingen (R), and Robert Wittke (R), and Sens. Joan Ballweg (R), Julian Bradley (R), Rachael Cabral-Guevara (R), Mary Felzkowski (R), Andre Jacque (R), John Jagler (R), Howard Marklein (R), Stephen Nass (R), Romaine Quinn (R), Rob Stafsholt (R), Duey Stroebel (R), Patrick Testin (R), Cory Tomczyk (R), and Van Wanggaard (R).
    • “As introduced, this bill proposes a constitutional amendment to be submitted to voters to decide whether or not to specify a qualified voter can only be a U.S. citizen 18 years or older. The amendment would also define a qualified voter as one who is a resident of an election district and specify that a qualified voter may be able to vote in an election for national, state, or local office or at a statewide or local referendum.”
  • WI SJR78: Prohibiting state and local governments from using privately sourced moneys or equipment in connection with the conduct of elections and specifying who may perform tasks related to the conduct of an election (second consideration), Reps. Scott Allen (R), David Armstrong (R), Tyler August (R), Elijah Behnke (R), Amy Binsfeld (R), Ty Bodden (R), Mark Born (R), Janel Brandtjen (R), Robert Brooks (R), Calvin Callahan (R), Alex Dallman (R), Barbara Dittrich (R), Robert Donovan (R), Cindi Duchow (R), James Edming (R), Joy Goeben (R), Chanz Green (R), Rick Gundrum (R), Nate Gustafson (R), Karen Hurd (R), Scott Johnson (R), Gae Magnafici (R), Dave Maxey (R), Paul Melotik (R), Clint Moses (R), David Murphy (R), Jeffrey Mursau (R), Amanda Nedweski (R), Jerry O’Connor (R), William Penterman (R), Kevin Petersen (R), Jon Plumer (R), Nik Rettinger (R), Donna Rozar (R), Peter Schmidt (R), Ellen Schutt (R), Patrick Snyder (R), Shae Sortwell (R), David Steffen (R), Robert Summerfield (R), Robert Swearingen (R), and Robert Wittke (R), and Sens. Joan Ballweg (R), Rachael Cabral-Guevara (R), Robert Cowles (R), Mary Felzkowski (R), Daniel Feyen (R), Howard Marklein (R), Stephen Nass (R), Rob Stafsholt (R), Duey Stroebel (R), Patrick Testin (R), Cory Tomczyk (R), Van Wanggaard (R), and Eric Wimberger (R).
    • “As introduced, this bill proposes a constitutional amendment in the form of two ballot questions to be presented to voters in April 2023. These ballot questions relate to prohibiting the use of private funds in conducting elections and requiring election officials to perform election-related tasks. In Wisconsin, proposed constitutional amendments must pass the legislature in consecutive sessions and voters must approve them before they are adopted. This is the second consideration of this proposed amendment; the first passed the legislature in 2021.”
  • WI SR4: Calling on the Wisconsin Elections Commission to appoint an election administrator, Sen. Devin LeMahieu (R).
    • “As introduced, this bill advises the Wisconsin Elections Commission to appoint an interim administrator and to submit a nomination for a permanent replacement.”

From Nov. 13-19, legislators passed six bills related to election administration nationally. As of Nov. 19, Texas legislators have passed the most bills this year with 35, while Alaska, Missouri, New Hampshire, and Pennsylvania legislators have passed the fewest bills with zero. The state with the most enacted bills is Texas with 34, while four states have enacted none.

The Wisconsin State Legislature is scheduled to be in session from Jan. 3 to Dec. 31 this year. In 2022, Wisconsin legislators passed one election-related bill in the state Senate. The bill was enacted into law.

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