AB 170 – Provides election observers uniform access of 3 feet throughout all stages of the election process – Election Day, central count and recounts. Observers must wear a name badge but it may not advocate for candidates. Observers may not interfere with voters or hinder election officials.

AB 178 - Creates a standardized form for requesting absentee ballots. Absentee ballot applications will be distinctly different from the certificate envelope used to seal and submit absentee ballots that include voter and witness signatures on the outer portion. It also requires voter identification facts proving eligibility to vote.

AB 179 – Prohibits employees of long-term care facilities from influencing a resident’s decision to vote or which candidate to vote for. It also requires administrators to notify the resident’s family of when Special Voting Deputies will be conducting in-person absentee voting at the facility.

AB 198 – Prohibits clerks from fixing any errors on absentee ballots. If there is an incomplete certificate envelope, the clerk must mail the ballot back to the voter and post notification of the error on the voter’s MyVote page. It also includes penalties for election fraud committed by election officials.

AB 201 - Requires the Elections Commission to create a standard absentee ballot request form, requires voters to enclose a copy of their ID when applying for absentee ballots, ends the automatic mailing of absentee ballots and applications, requires municipalities to post updates on absentee ballots on an hourly basis, requires electronic signatures of voters for online voter registration, and prohibits the pre-printing of a municipal clerk’s initials on any certificate or ballot used in absentee voting. 

Bills Passed out of Campaigns & Elections

The following bills passed out of the Assembly’s Campaigns & Elections committee:

AB 51: Currently, there is no requirement to provide public notice of an open seat for county and local elections - only state elections. This bill would require public notice of such openings.

AB 172: Requires the Wisconsin Elections Commission to publish meeting minutes on their website within 48 hours.

AB 173: Amended: Allows donations but requires local election officials who receive private election funds to distribute them evenly, based on population. It also requires ballot tabulators to take an oath of office like every other election official and prohibits employees of political campaigns from serving as poll workers.

AB 94: Currently, most students who are 16 or 17 years of age and in good school standing can serve as an election inspector. This bill simply allows homeschooled students the same privileges.

Mistakes Happen...

I made an error on my last e-update. Please see the change below in red font.

Resolution to Join Multi-State Lawsuit

On the floor, we also passed a resolution to join a 13-state lawsuit relating to the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. The federal government will fund Wisconsin 5.7 billion dollars BUT attaches strings that we cannot raise REDUCE state taxes for the next four years. That’s a complete overreach by the federal government. Who knows what will happen in the next four years? We cannot commit to this deal. We need Attorney General Josh Kaul to join other states and add Wisconsin to the lawsuit to remove this stipulation.