Senate Bill 794
Authorizing certain overseas and military voters to vote absentee by electronic transmission and granting rule-making authority. (FE)
Stopped in committee
It never got a , so it never came up for a vote. To try again, a lawmaker would have to start a new bill.
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Introduced, passed
Feb 11, 2020
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Committee, stopped here
Stopped here. No public hearing was held.
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Senate vote, not reached
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Assembly vote, not reached
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Governor, not reached
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Law, not reached
Latest entry in the official record, Apr 1, 2020: “Failed to pass pursuant to ”
It never got a hearing in the Senate Committee on Elections, Ethics and Rural Issues. See every bill that never got a hearing this session.
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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.
Public hearing
A meeting where anyone can speak to a committee about a bill, or send written comments.
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
What it would have done
Summary by the , the Legislature's nonpartisan drafting office. It's their wording, not ours.
This bill requires the Elections Commission to promulgate rules authorizing overseas voters who are service members or civilian employees of the U.S.
Department of Defense or a DOD contractor to vote absentee by electronic transmission. Under current law, such voters must return their absentee ballots by mail.
Read the full summary Show less
The commission's rules must include all of the following requirements:
1. A voter may vote absentee by electronic transmission only if the voter waives the right to a secret ballot.
2. When an absentee ballot is received by electronic transmission, the person receiving the transmission must examine it to determine that all pages have been received and are legible and may not reveal how the voter voted.
3. The absentee ballot must be sealed in an envelope marked with the voter's name and stored with other returned absentee ballots.
4. The commission must establish an online portal allowing a voter to access, complete, and electronically sign his or her ballot online by use of a valid federal common access card (CAC). The CAC is a “smart” card used as a standard identification for active duty uniformed service personnel, civilian employees of DOD, and eligible DOD contractor personnel.
Who's behind it
2 senators are its . All 2 are Republicans.
16 more lawmakers .
See all 18 names Hide the names
Authors (2)
- Kathleen Bernier · Republican, Senate
- Chris Kapenga · Republican, Senate
Signed on in support (16)
- Chris Taylor · Democrat, Assembly
- Cindi Duchow · Republican, Assembly
- James Edming · Republican, Assembly
- Mary Felzkowski · Republican, Senate
- Cody Horlacher · Republican, Assembly
- Joel Kitchens · Republican, Assembly
- Gae Magnafici · Republican, Assembly
- Todd Novak · Republican, Assembly
- Jon Plumer · Republican, Assembly
- Michael Schraa · Republican, Assembly
- Christine Sinicki · Democrat, Assembly
- Ken Skowronski · Republican, Assembly
- Shae Sortwell · Republican, Assembly
- John Spiros · Republican, Assembly
- Jeremy Thiesfeldt · Republican, Assembly
- Chuck Wichgers · Republican, Assembly
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.
What happened
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Apr 1, 2020
The session ended, and the bill died with it.
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Feb 12, 2020
A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.
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Feb 12, 2020
1 more representative signed on in support.
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Feb 11, 2020
Sent to the Senate Committee on Elections, Ethics and Rural Issues.
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Feb 11, 2020
Introduced in the Senate.
See the official record, word for word Hide the official record
- Feb 11, 2020 · Senate
Introduced by Senators Bernier and Kapenga; cosponsored by Representatives Duchow, Skowronski, Felzkowski, Horlacher, Kitchens, Magnafici, Novak, Schraa, Sinicki, Sortwell, Spiros, Thiesfeldt, C. Taylor, Plumer and Edming
- Feb 11, 2020 · Senate
Read first time and referred to Committee on Elections, Ethics and Rural Issues
- Feb 11, 2020 · Senate
Senate Amendment 1 offered by Senator Bernier
- Feb 12, 2020 · Senate
Representative Wichgers added as a cosponsor
- Feb 12, 2020 · Senate
Fiscal estimate received
- Apr 1, 2020 · Senate
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.
Public hearing
A meeting where anyone can speak to a committee about a bill, or send written comments.
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
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.
Public hearing
A meeting where anyone can speak to a committee about a bill, or send written comments.
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
Cost estimate
A state agency's estimate of what a bill would cost or save.
Official term: Fiscal estimate