Assembly Bill 164
Various election law changes
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.
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Introduced, passed
Apr 15, 2015
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Committee, passed
Approved
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Assembly vote, stopped here
Stopped here. The full Assembly never voted on it.
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Senate vote, not reached
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Governor, not reached
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Law, not reached
Latest entry in the official record, Apr 13, 2016: “Failed to pass pursuant to ”
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Terms on this page
Committee
A small group of lawmakers that looks at a bill first. Most bills never leave committee.
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
Roll call
A vote where each lawmaker's yes or no is recorded by name.
Official term: Roll call vote. More in the glossary
What it would have done
Summary by the , the Legislature's nonpartisan drafting office. It's their wording, not ours.
Currently, if candidates have been certified to appear on a ballot, the board of canvassers may only count write-in votes for candidates who have filed registration statements. This bill requires that a write-in candidate must file a registration statement no later than noon on the Friday before the election.
Under current law, if a municipal clerk receives valid provisional or absentee ballots by 4 p.m. on the Friday after an election, the board of canvassers must reconvene no later than 9 a.m. on the Monday after the election to count the valid provisional and absentee ballots and shall adjust the election returns. The bill provides that the board of canvassers need not reconvene if the municipal clerk certifies that he or she has received no provisional or absentee ballots from the time that the board of canvassers completed the initial canvass and 4 p.m. on the Friday after the election.
Read the full summary Show less
Currently, when nomination papers are not used to nominate a candidate for a town or village elective office, the governing body must hold a caucus sometime between the first Tuesday and the last Tuesday in January. The bill provides that the governing body may hold a caucus between January 2 and January 15.
Under current law, electors in a city and village may sign and submit a petition to the common council or village board to pass an ordinance or resolution or to submit the ordinance or resolution to the electors in the next spring or general election that is at least six weeks from the date on which the council or board must act on the petition. Under the bill, the ordinance or resolution must be submitted to the electors at the next election that is at least 70 days from the date on which the council or board must act.
The bill removes language related to an elector affixing a sticker to a ballot.
Under current law, if a school board election is held in conjunction with a state, county, municipal, or judicial election, the school board election must take place at the same polling place, and the municipal election hours apply. This bill provides that a school board referendum held in conjunction with a state, county, municipal, or judicial election is subject to the same procedures.
Who's behind it
28 lawmakers are its . 21 are Republicans and 7 are Democrats.
14 more lawmakers .
See all 42 names Hide the names
Authors (28)
- Alvin Ott · Republican, Assembly
- Scott Allen · Republican, Assembly
- Joan Ballweg · Republican, Senate
- Terese Berceau · Democrat, Assembly
- Kathleen Bernier · Republican, Senate
- Mark Born · Republican, Assembly
- Steve Doyle · Democrat, Assembly
- James Edming · Republican, Assembly
- Gary Hebl · Democrat, Assembly
- Dianne Hesselbein · Democrat, Senate
- Cody Horlacher · Republican, Assembly
- Robb Kahl · Democrat, Assembly
- Dan Knodl · Republican, Assembly
- Dean Knudson · Republican, Assembly
- Debra Kolste · Democrat, Assembly
- Jesse Kremer · Republican, Assembly
- Scott Krug · Republican, Assembly
- Bob Kulp · Republican, Assembly
- Dave Murphy · Republican, Assembly
- Todd Novak · Republican, Assembly
- Tod Ohnstad · Democrat, Assembly
- Romaine Quinn · Republican, Senate
- Rob Brooks · Republican, Assembly
- Mike Rohrkaste · Republican, Assembly
- Gary Tauchen · Republican, Assembly
- Paul Tittl · Republican, Assembly
- Tyler Vorpagel · Republican, Assembly
- Thomas Weatherston · Republican, Assembly
Signed on in support (14)
- Janet Bewley · Democrat, Senate
- Frank G. Lasee · Republican, Senate
- Julie M. Lassa · Democrat, Senate
- Devin LeMahieu · Republican, Senate
- John Macco · Republican, Assembly
- Howard Marklein · Republican, Senate
- Mark Miller · Democrat, Senate
- Terry Moulton · Republican, Senate
- Steve Nass · Republican, Senate
- Janis Ringhand · Democrat, Senate
- Fred A. Risser · Democrat, Senate
- David Steffen · Republican, Assembly
- Lisa Subeck · Democrat, Assembly
- Van Wanggaard · Republican, Senate
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 were 2 votes on this bill.
Assembly Committee on Campaigns and Elections vote on an amendment
Passed, 8 to 0 · May 27, 2015
No member-by-member record exists for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.
Official motion: “Report Assembly Amendment 1 adoption recommended by Committee on Campaigns and Elections, Ayes 8, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page
Assembly Committee on Campaigns and Elections vote to recommend it
Passed, 7 to 1 · 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 as amended recommended by Committee on Campaigns and Elections, Ayes 7, Noes 1”. Official record · This vote on its own page
What happened
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Apr 13, 2016
The session ended, and the bill died with it.
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May 28, 2015 to Jun 8, 2015
2 more representatives signed on in support.
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May 27, 2015
Sent to the Assembly Committee on Rules.
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May 27, 2015
The committee voted to recommend passing it, 7 to 1.
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Apr 21, 2015
The committee held a public hearing.
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Apr 20, 2015
1 more representative signed on in support.
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Apr 15, 2015
Sent to the Assembly Committee on Campaigns and Elections.
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Apr 15, 2015
Introduced in the Assembly.
See the official record, word for word Hide the official record
- Apr 15, 2015 · Assembly
Introduced by Representatives Bernier, Horlacher, Vorpagel, Berceau, Allen, Ballweg, Edming, Doyle, Hebl, R. Brooks, Born, Hesselbein, Kahl, Knodl, Knudson, Kolste, Kremer, Krug, Kulp, Murphy, Novak, Ohnstad, A. Ott, Quinn, Rohrkaste, Tauchen, Tittl and Weatherston; cosponsored by Senators LeMahieu, Wanggaard, Miller, Risser, Bewley, Lasee, Marklein, Moulton, Nass, Ringhand and Lassa
- Apr 15, 2015 · Assembly
Read first time and referred to Committee on Campaigns and Elections
- Apr 20, 2015 · Assembly
Representative Subeck added as a coauthor
- Apr 21, 2015 · Assembly
Public hearing held
- May 15, 2015 · Assembly
Assembly Amendment 1 offered by Representative Bernier
- May 19, 2015 · Assembly
Executive action taken
- May 27, 2015 · Assembly
Report Assembly Amendment 1 adoption recommended by Committee on Campaigns and Elections, Ayes 8, Noes 0
- May 27, 2015 · Assembly
Report passage as amended recommended by Committee on Campaigns and Elections, Ayes 7, Noes 1
- May 27, 2015 · Assembly
Referred to committee on Rules
- May 28, 2015 · Assembly
Representative Macco added as a coauthor
- Jun 3, 2015 · Assembly
Placed on calendar 6-9-2015 by Committee on Rules
- Jun 8, 2015 · Assembly
Representative Steffen added as a coauthor
- Jun 9, 2015 · Assembly
Laid on the table
- 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.
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
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.
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
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
Signed on in support
Lawmakers who back a bill without being one of its authors, often from the other chamber.
Official term: Cosponsor
Roll call
A vote where each lawmaker's yes or no is recorded by name.
Official term: Roll call vote