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Bills from the 2015–16 session

Assembly Bill 124

Fees for election recounts. (FE)

Stopped before the full Assembly voted

The recommended passing it, but the full Assembly never voted on it. To try again, a lawmaker would have to start a new bill.

  1. Introduced, passed

    Mar 27, 2015

  2. Committee, passed

    Approved

  3. Assembly vote, stopped here

    Stopped here. The full Assembly never voted on it.

  4. Senate vote, not reached

  5. Governor, not reached

  6. Law, not reached

Latest entry in the official record, Apr 13, 2016: “Failed to pass pursuant to ⁠”

Read the bill

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What it would have done

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

Currently, any candidate who receives votes in an election and any elector who votes in a referendum may petition for a recount of the votes cast. The petitioner does not have to pay for the recount if the difference between the votes cast for the leading candidate and those cast for the petitioner, or the difference between the affirmative and negative votes cast on the referendum question, is less than 10 if 1,000 or fewer votes are cast or not more than 0.5 percent of the total votes cast for the office or on the question if more than 1,000 votes are cast.

Currently, if the difference between the votes cast for the leading candidate and those cast for the petitioner, or the difference between the affirmative and negative votes cast on the referendum question, is at least 10 if 1,000 or fewer votes are cast or is more than 0.5 percent, but not more than 2 percent if more than 1,000 votes are cast, the petitioner must pay a fee equal to $5 for each ward for which the petitioner requests a recount.

Read the full summary

Finally, if the difference between the votes cast for the leading candidate and those cast for the petitioner, or the difference between the affirmative and negative votes cast on the referendum question, is more than 2 percent if more than 1,000 votes are cast, the petitioner pays the actual cost of performing the recount.

This bill provides that, if the difference between the votes cast for the leading candidate and those cast for the petitioner, or the difference between the affirmative and negative votes cast on the referendum question, is less than 10 if 4,000 or fewer votes are cast or not more than 0.25 percent of the total votes cast for the office or on the question if more than 4,000 votes are cast, the petitioner does not pay for the recount. Under any other circumstance, the petitioner pays the actual cost of performing the recount. However, if the recount overturns the result of the election or referendum, the petitioner receives a refund of the recount fees.

Who's behind it

14 lawmakers are its ⁠. 12 are Republicans and 2 are Democrats.

3 more lawmakers ⁠.

See all 17 names

Authors (14)

Signed on in support (3)

What it would cost

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

Versions and amendments

Every text the Legislature printed for this bill, including proposed changes. Each opens on the Legislature's site.

How lawmakers voted

There was one vote on this bill.

Assembly Committee on Campaigns and Elections vote to recommend it

Passed, 5 to 3 · May 27, 2015

No member-by-member record exists for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.

Official motion: “Report passage recommended by Committee on Campaigns and Elections, Ayes 5, Noes 3”. Official record · This vote on its own page

What happened

  1. Apr 13, 2016

    The session ended, and the bill died with it.

  2. May 28, 2015

    1 more representative signed on in support.

  3. May 27, 2015

    Sent to the Assembly Committee on Rules.

  4. May 27, 2015

    The committee voted to recommend passing it, 5 to 3.

  5. Apr 21, 2015

    The committee held a public hearing.

  6. Apr 10, 2015

    A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.

  7. Mar 27, 2015

    Sent to the Assembly Committee on Campaigns and Elections.

  8. Mar 27, 2015

    Introduced in the Assembly.

See the official record, word for word
  1. Mar 27, 2015 · Assembly

    Introduced by Representatives Ballweg, Allen, Bernier, Billings, Born, E. Brooks, Edming, Kleefisch, Kulp, T. Larson, Ohnstad, Ripp, Swearingen and Tittl; cosponsored by Senators LeMahieu and Olsen

  2. Mar 27, 2015 · Assembly

    Read first time and referred to Committee on Campaigns and Elections

  3. Apr 10, 2015 · Assembly

    Fiscal estimate received

  4. Apr 21, 2015 · Assembly

    Public hearing held

  5. May 18, 2015 · Assembly

    Assembly Substitute Amendment 1 offered by Representative Zamarripa

  6. May 19, 2015 · Assembly

    Executive action taken

  7. May 27, 2015 · Assembly

    Report passage recommended by Committee on Campaigns and Elections, Ayes 5, Noes 3

  8. May 27, 2015 · Assembly

    Referred to committee on Rules

  9. May 28, 2015 · Assembly

    Representative Macco added as a coauthor

  10. Jun 3, 2015 · Assembly

    Placed on calendar 6-9-2015 by Committee on Rules

  11. Jun 9, 2015 · Assembly

    Laid on the table

  12. Apr 13, 2016 · Assembly

    Failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1

Terms on this page

Committee

A small group of lawmakers that looks at a bill first. Most bills never leave committee.

More in the glossary

Senate Joint Resolution 1

The session's calendar. Any bill not passed by its last voting day dies.

Official term: Failed to pass pursuant to SJR 1. More in the glossary

Legislative Reference Bureau

The Legislature's nonpartisan office that drafts bills and writes the summary at the top of each one.

Official term: LRB analysis. More in the glossary

Author

A lawmaker who formally puts a bill forward. The text itself is drafted by the Legislative Reference Bureau.

Official term: Author, coauthor. More in the glossary

Signed on in support

Lawmakers who back a bill without being one of its authors, often from the other chamber.

Official term: Cosponsor. More in the glossary

Cost estimate

A state agency's estimate of what a bill would cost or save.

Official term: Fiscal estimate. More in the glossary

Roll call

A vote where each lawmaker's yes or no is recorded by name.

Official term: Roll call vote. More in the glossary

From the Wisconsin Legislature's official record, checked Sep 15, 2026. See the source

Committee

A small group of lawmakers that looks at a bill first. Most bills never leave committee.

More in the glossary

Senate Joint Resolution 1

The session's calendar. Any bill not passed by its last voting day dies.

Official term: Failed to pass pursuant to SJR 1

More in the glossary

Legislative Reference Bureau

The Legislature's nonpartisan office that drafts bills and writes the summary at the top of each one.

Official term: LRB analysis

More in the glossary

Author

A lawmaker who formally puts a bill forward. The text itself is drafted by the Legislative Reference Bureau.

Official term: Author, coauthor

More in the glossary

Signed on in support

Lawmakers who back a bill without being one of its authors, often from the other chamber.

Official term: Cosponsor

More in the glossary

Cost estimate

A state agency's estimate of what a bill would cost or save.

Official term: Fiscal estimate

More in the glossary

Roll call

A vote where each lawmaker's yes or no is recorded by name.

Official term: Roll call vote

More in the glossary