Wisconsin Republicans Introduce Election Policy Bill Amid Rising National Concerns

As of Nov. 26, Zenger News has tracked 30 election-related bills in the Wisconsin State Senate since the beginning of the year. Of the 30, Zenger News tracked one from Nov. 20-26. Republicans sponsored the bill. The bill is below:   

• WI SB685: Transmitting and canvassing absentee ballots, use of central counting locations, election night reporting, whistleblower protection for municipal clerks, notifications and verifications concerning citizenship status, court determinations of incompetency and ineligibility to vote, and providing a penalty (FE), Reps. David Armstrong (R), Barbara Dittrich (R), Robert Donovan (R), Joel Kitchens (R), Dave Maxey (R), Tom Michalski (R), David Murphy (R), Jerry O’Connor (R), Nik Rettinger (R), Donna Rozar (R), Michael Schraa (R), David Steffen (R), and Ron Tusler (R), and Sen. Rachael Cabral-Guevara (R).
  • “This is an omnibus-style election policy bill that affects a number of different policy areas. As introduced, this bill:
    • Requires the commission to remove a registered voter’s name from the registration list, and notify the individual, if the commission receives a notification that the person is not qualified to serve on a jury because the person is not a US citizen or lives outside the area.
    • Modifies voter education requirements to require all voters (instead of some) be educated about the effect of casting more than one ballot for an office.
    • Tasks the department of transportation with providing access to personally identifiable information to the commission to verify the citizenship of someone registering to vote.
    • Directs the commission to change a voter’s registration status to inactive within one business day of receiving a determination of ineligibility due to incompetency and to notify the relevant municipal clerk.
    • Enacts that if a person is determined to be eligible to vote and is no longer incompetent, the commission change the voter’s status to active within one business day, and must allow the person to vote at their polling place on election day, provided they submit the appropriate documentation, or cast a provisional ballot when documentation is missing.”
    • Click the hyperlinked bill number above for more information.

During the week of Nov. 20-26, Zenger News tracked three Senate election-related bills nationally. As of Nov. 26, Zenger News has tracked 1,217 Senate bills nationally. Zenger News tracked the most Senate bills this year in the New York State Senate with 165, while Zenger News tracked the fewest Senate bills in the Vermont State Senate with two. 

As of Nov. 26, Zenger News has tracked 550 Senate bills in Democratic trifectas and 481 Senate bills in Republican trifectas. A trifecta is when one political party holds the governorship and majorities in both chambers of the state legislature. Zenger News has tracked 186 Senate bills in states where neither party holds trifecta control.

The Wisconsin Senate is scheduled to be in session from Jan. 3 to Dec. 31 this year. In 2022, Zenger News tracked 36 Senate bills related to election administration. One of these bills passed both chambers and was enacted into law. Wisconsin is a divided government, meaning neither party holds trifecta control.

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