Electronic voter registration, verification of certain registrations, and proof of residence for voting in an election and granting rule-making authority

What it would have done

Summary by the Legislative Reference Bureau, the Legislature's nonpartisan drafting office. It's their wording, not ours.

Currently, a qualified elector may register to vote at any election by mail or by completing a registration form with a special registration deputy no later than the 20th day before the election. A qualified elector may also register to vote at an election in person at the office of the municipal clerk or board of election commissioners for the municipality where the elector resides no later than 5 p.m. on the Friday before the election. In order to register, an elector must provide his or her name and address and certain other information required to ascertain his or her eligibility and must sign the form. With certain exceptions, an elector who registers after the 20th day before an election or an elector who registers by mail and who has not voted before in an election in this state must provide proof of residence prior to voting. Currently, the clerk or board of election commissioners must verify each registration received by mail or submitted by a special registration deputy by sending a first-class letter or postcard to the registrant at the registrant's address.

This bill permits a qualified elector who has a current and valid driver's license or identification card issued by the Department of Transportation (DOT) to register to vote at an election electronically on a secure Internet site maintained by the Government Accountability Board (GAB). The bill requires an electronic registration to be completed no later than the 20th day before an election in order to be valid for that election. Under the bill, a qualified elector enters the same information that appears on the current registration form and authorizes DOT to forward a copy of his or her electronic signature to GAB. The authorization affirms that all information provided by the elector is correct and has the same effect as if the elector signed the form personally. The bill also permits an elector who is currently registered to vote and who has a current and valid driver's license or identification card to electronically enter a change of name or address using a similar procedure. Under the bill, an electronic registration is treated the same as a mail registration. GAB or the clerk or board of election commissioners of the elector's municipality of residence must verify the registration by sending a first-class letter or postcard to the registrant at the registrant's address and, if the registrant is voting for the first time in an election in this state, the registrant must provide proof of residence before voting in the election. However, the bill also provides that if an elector who registers electronically provides his or her Wisconsin driver's license number, together with his or her name and date of birth, and GAB is able to verify the information electronically at the time of registration by electronically accessing records of DOT, the elector need not provide proof of residence prior to voting. The bill directs GAB and DOT to enter into an agreement that permits GAB to verify the necessary information instantly by accessing DOT's electronic files.

Who's behind it

6 senators are its authors⁠. All 6 are Democrats.

17 more lawmakers signed on in support⁠.

What it would cost

State agencies filed a cost estimate. Each opens as a PDF from the Legislature.

• Fiscal Estimate From DOT
• Fiscal Estimate From GAB