Senate Bill 121
Various election law changes
Became law
The governor signed it on Jul 2, 2015. It's .
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Introduced, passed
Apr 15, 2015
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Committee, passed
Approved
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Senate vote, passed
Passed Jun 9, 2015
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Assembly vote, passed
Passed Jun 9, 2015
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Governor, passed
Signed
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Law, here now
2015 Wisconsin Act 37
Latest entry in the official record, Jul 2, 2015: “Published 7-2-2015”
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Terms on this page
Wisconsin Act
The number a bill gets when it becomes law, like 2025 Wisconsin Act 12.
Official term: Act. 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 does
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
11 senators are its . 6 are Republicans and 5 are Democrats.
30 more lawmakers .
See all 41 names Hide the names
Authors (11)
- Janet Bewley · Democrat, Senate
- Frank G. Lasee · Republican, Senate
- Julie M. Lassa · Democrat, Senate
- Devin LeMahieu · Republican, Senate
- 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
- Van Wanggaard · Republican, Senate
Signed on in support (30)
- 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
- David Steffen · Republican, Assembly
- Lisa Subeck · Democrat, Assembly
- Gary Tauchen · Republican, Assembly
- Paul Tittl · Republican, Assembly
- Tyler Vorpagel · Republican, Assembly
- Thomas Weatherston · Republican, Assembly
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.
Senate Committee on Elections and Local Government vote on an amendment
Passed, 5 to 0 · Jun 5, 2015
No member-by-member record exists for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.
Official motion: “Report adoption of Senate Amendment 1 recommended by Committee on Elections and Local Government, Ayes 5, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page
Senate Committee on Elections and Local Government vote to recommend it
Passed, 5 to 0 · Jun 5, 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 Elections and Local Government, Ayes 5, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page
What happened
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Jul 2, 2015
The new law was published.
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Jul 2, 2015
The governor signed it. It became 2015 Wisconsin Act 37.
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Jun 30, 2015
Sent to the governor.
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Jun 9, 2015
The Assembly passed it too.
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Jun 9, 2015
“Read” (the official wording)
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Jun 9, 2015
The Assembly received it.
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Jun 9, 2015
The Senate passed it.
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Jun 9, 2015
The Senate adopted it.
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Jun 8, 2015
1 more representative signed on in support.
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Jun 5, 2015
The committee voted to recommend passing it, 5 to 0.
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Jun 5, 2015
“Report adoption of Senate Amendment 1 recommended by Committee on Elections and Local Government, Ayes 5, Noes 0” (the official wording)
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Apr 23, 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 Senate Committee on Elections and Local Government.
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Apr 15, 2015
Introduced in the Senate.
See the official record, word for word Hide the official record
- Apr 15, 2015 · Senate
Introduced by Senators LeMahieu, Wanggaard, Miller, Risser, Bewley, Lasee, Lassa, Marklein, Moulton, Nass and Ringhand; cosponsored 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
- Apr 15, 2015 · Senate
Read first time and referred to Committee on Elections and Local Government
- Apr 20, 2015 · Senate
Representative Subeck added as a cosponsor
- Apr 23, 2015 · Senate
Public hearing held
- Jun 1, 2015 · Senate
Senate Amendment 1 offered by Senator LeMahieu
- Jun 3, 2015 · Senate
Executive action taken
- Jun 5, 2015 · Senate
Report adoption of Senate Amendment 1 recommended by Committee on Elections and Local Government, Ayes 5, Noes 0
- Jun 5, 2015 · Senate
Report passage as amended recommended by Committee on Elections and Local Government, Ayes 5, Noes 0
- Jun 5, 2015 · Senate
Available for scheduling
- Jun 8, 2015 · Senate
Representative Steffen added as a cosponsor
- Jun 8, 2015 · Senate
Placed on calendar 6-9-2015 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)
- Jun 9, 2015 · Senate
Read a second time
- Jun 9, 2015 · Senate
Senate Amendment 1 adopted
- Jun 9, 2015 · Senate
Ordered to a third reading
- Jun 9, 2015 · Senate
Rules suspended
- Jun 9, 2015 · Senate
Read a third time and passed
- Jun 9, 2015 · Senate
Ordered immediately messaged
- Jun 9, 2015 · Assembly
Received from Senate
- Jun 9, 2015 · Assembly
Read
- Jun 9, 2015 · Assembly
Rules suspended and taken up
- Jun 9, 2015 · Assembly
Read a second time
- Jun 9, 2015 · Assembly
Ordered to a third reading
- Jun 9, 2015 · Assembly
Rules suspended
- Jun 9, 2015 · Assembly
Read a third time and concurred in
- Jun 9, 2015 · Assembly
Ordered immediately messaged
- Jun 10, 2015 · Senate
Received from Assembly concurred in
- Jun 17, 2015 · Senate
Report correctly enrolled
- Jun 30, 2015 · Senate
Presented to the Governor on 6-30-2015
- Jul 2, 2015 · Senate
Report approved by the Governor on 7-1-2015. 2015 Wisconsin Act 37
- Jul 2, 2015 · Senate
Published 7-2-2015
Terms on this page
Wisconsin Act
The number a bill gets when it becomes law, like 2025 Wisconsin Act 12.
Official term: Act. 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
Wisconsin Act
The number a bill gets when it becomes law, like 2025 Wisconsin Act 12.
Official term: Act
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