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Bills · 2011-2012 Regular Session

SB 271

Became law Official bill text Atom feed

return of absentee ballots and voting in person by electors who have voted by absentee ballot in the same election.

  1. Introduced, completed
  2. Passes Senate, completed
  3. Passes Assembly, completed
  4. Governor signs, completed
  5. Law, completed

Unfamiliar terms? Glossary

What this bill does

Plain-language analysis by the nonpartisan Legislative Reference Bureau

Currently, if a qualified elector casts an absentee ballot, whether by mail or in

person, the municipal clerk or board of election commissioners of the municipality

where the elector resides delivers the ballot in an absentee ballot envelope to the

polling place serving the elector's residence. There is no authorization for a

municipality to return an absentee ballot to an elector once the ballot has been cast.

The election inspectors (poll workers), upon receiving the absentee ballot of a

qualified elector, mark the poll list to indicate that the elector has voted when they

count the ballot. No elector is permitted to vote more than once in the same election.

If a municipality elects to canvass its absentee ballots centrally using a board of

absentee ballot canvassers, the board of absentee ballot canvassers marks a separate

poll list containing the names of the qualified electors of the municipality to indicate

the electors who have cast absentee ballots. The municipal board of canvassers is

then required to reconcile the poll list marked at each polling place with the poll list

marked by the board of absentee ballot canvassers to ensure that no person is

permitted to vote more than once. If the municipal board of canvassers finds that an

elector who has voted in person has also cast an absentee ballot, the absentee ballot

is void.

This bill provides that if an elector casts an absentee ballot, either by mail or

in person, the municipal clerk or board of election commissioners shall not return the

ballot to the elector. The bill also provides that an elector who casts an absentee

ballot at an election is not permitted to vote in person at the same election on election

day.

Sponsors

Introduced by: Grothman (R) , Lazich (R) , Vukmir (R)

2 cosponsors

Kestell (R) , Pridemore (R)

Votes

Senate: Report adoption of Senate Amendment 2 recommended by committee on Transportation and Elections, Ayes 3, Noes 2

Passed 3–2 Jan 19, 2012 official source full page

No individual roll call was recorded for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.

Senate: Read a third time and passed, Ayes 17, Noes 16

Passed 17–16 Feb 14, 2012 official source full page

Assembly: Refused to refer to committee on Election and Campaign Reform, Ayes 34, Noes 59

Failed 34–59 Mar 15, 2012 official source full page

No individual roll call was recorded for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.

Assembly: Read a third time and concurred in, Ayes 59, Noes 34, Paired 2

Passed 59–34 Mar 15, 2012 official source full page

Aye · 59

Assembly: Assembly substitute amendment 1 laid on table, Ayes 58, Noes 35

Passed 58–35 Mar 15, 2012 official source full page

No individual roll call was recorded for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.

Full history

  1. Oct 31, 2011 · Senate

    Introduced by Senators Lazich, Vukmir and Grothman;Cosponsored by Representatives Pridemore and Kestell

  2. Oct 31, 2011 · Senate

    Read first time and referred to committee on Transportation and Elections

  3. Oct 31, 2011 · Senate

    Public hearing held

  4. Nov 1, 2011 · Senate

    Senate amendment 1 offered by Senator Erpenbach

  5. Jan 18, 2012 · Senate

    Senate amendment 2 offered by Senator Lazich

  6. Jan 19, 2012 · Senate

    Available for scheduling

  7. Jan 19, 2012 · Senate

    Senate amendment 3 offered by Senator Leibham

  8. Jan 19, 2012 · Senate

    Executive action taken

  9. Jan 19, 2012 · Senate

    Report adoption of Senate Amendment 2 recommended by committee on Transportation and Elections, Ayes 3, Noes 2

  10. Jan 19, 2012 · Senate

    Report adoption of Senate Amendment 3 recommended by committee on Transportation and Elections, Ayes 3, Noes 2

  11. Jan 19, 2012 · Senate

    Report passage as amended recommended by committee on Transportation and Elections, Ayes 3, Noes 2

  12. Feb 13, 2012 · Senate

    Placed on calendar 2-14-2012 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)

  13. Feb 14, 2012 · Senate

    Read a second time

  14. Feb 14, 2012 · Senate

    Senate substitute amendment 1 offered by Senator Lazich

  15. Feb 14, 2012 · Senate

    Senate substitute amendment 1 adopted

  16. Feb 14, 2012 · Senate

    Ordered to a third reading

  17. Feb 14, 2012 · Senate

    Rules suspended

  18. Feb 14, 2012 · Senate

    Read a third time and passed, Ayes 17, Noes 16

  19. Feb 14, 2012 · Senate

    Ordered immediately messaged

  20. Feb 16, 2012 · Assembly

    Received from Senate

  21. Feb 21, 2012 · Assembly

    Read first time and referred to committee on Rules

  22. Mar 2, 2012 · Assembly

    Placed on calendar 3-6-2012 by committee on Rules

  23. Mar 6, 2012 · Assembly

    Made a special order of business at 11:55 A.M. on 3-13-2012 pursuant to Assembly Resolution 22

  24. Mar 15, 2012 · Assembly

    Read a second time

  25. Mar 15, 2012 · Assembly

    Refused to refer to committee on Election and Campaign Reform, Ayes 34, Noes 59

  26. Mar 15, 2012 · Assembly

    Assembly substitute amendment 1 offered by Representatives C. Taylor and Barca

  27. Mar 15, 2012 · Assembly

    Assembly substitute amendment 1 laid on table, Ayes 58, Noes 35

  28. Mar 15, 2012 · Assembly

    Ordered to a third reading

  29. Mar 15, 2012 · Assembly

    Rules suspended

  30. Mar 15, 2012 · Assembly

    Read a third time and concurred in, Ayes 59, Noes 34, Paired 2

  31. Mar 15, 2012 · Assembly

    Ordered immediately messaged

  32. Mar 16, 2012 · Senate

    Received from Assembly concurred in

  33. Mar 20, 2012 · Senate

    LRB correction

  34. Mar 20, 2012 · Senate

    Report correctly enrolled on 3-20-2012

  35. Apr 5, 2012 · Senate

    Presented to the Governor on 4-5-2012

  36. Apr 6, 2012 · Senate

    Report approved by the Governor on 4-6-2012. 2011 Wisconsin Act 227

  37. Apr 10, 2012 · Senate

    Published 4-19-2012