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Bills from the 2021–22 session

Assembly Bill 173

Private resources used for election administration, appointment of election officials, and providing a penalty. (FE)

Vetoed by the governor

Both chambers passed it, and the governor vetoed it on Jun 30, 2021. Lawmakers did not ⁠, so it stands.

  1. Introduced, passed

    Mar 16, 2021

  2. Committee, passed

    Approved

  3. Assembly vote, passed

    Passed May 11, 2021

  4. Senate vote, passed

    Passed 18 to 14

  5. Governor, stopped here

    Vetoed Jun 30, 2021.

  6. Law, not reached

Latest entry in the official record, May 17, 2022: “Failed to pass notwithstanding the objections of the Governor pursuant to Joint Rule 82”

Read the governor's veto message · All vetoes this session

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.

Under this bill, no official or agent of a county, city, village, or town may apply for or accept any donation or grant of moneys, equipment, materials, or personnel from an individual or nongovernmental entity for purposes of election administration, except as expressly authorized under the statutes relating to elections. If the Elections Commission accepts a donation or grant of moneys from an individual or nongovernmental entity for purposes of election administration, the commission may not expend those moneys, except as follows:

1. The commission must distribute the moneys to each municipality in Wisconsin on a per capita basis, subject to an exception for distributions that would result in any municipality receiving less than $25.

Read the full summary

2. The commission may expend the moneys only as approved by the Joint Committee on Finance.

Under the bill, whoever violates one of the prohibitions described above is guilty of a Class I felony, the penalty for which is a fine not to exceed $10,000 or imprisonment not to exceed three years and six months, or both.

The bill also makes it a Class I felony for any person to assist in counting or tabulating votes at an election unless the person is a resident of this state, is a tabulator or election official who is trained to the extent provided by law, and has signed the official oath and returned it to the municipal clerk with respect to that election.

Finally, the bill prohibits the appointment of any poll worker who is an employee of any of the following:

1. A candidate committee, legislative campaign committee, political action committee, independent expenditure committee, political party, recall committee, or referendum committee, as those terms are defined by law.

2. A political organization required to register with the federal elections commission.

3. An issue advocacy group.

Because this bill creates a new crime or revises a penalty for an existing crime, the Joint Review Committee on Criminal Penalties may be requested to prepare a report.

Who's behind it

15 lawmakers are its ⁠. All 15 are Republicans.

11 more lawmakers ⁠.

See all 26 names

Authors (15)

Signed on in support (11)

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 were 5 votes on this bill.

Assembly Committee on Campaigns and Elections vote on an amendment

Passed, 5 to 3 · May 6, 2021

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

Official motion: “Report Assembly Amendment 2 adoption recommended by Committee on Campaigns and Elections, Ayes 5, Noes 3”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Assembly Committee on Campaigns and Elections vote to recommend it

Passed, 5 to 3 · May 6, 2021

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 5, Noes 3”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Assembly vote to pass it

Passed, 60 to 36 · May 11, 2021 · 2 didn't vote

See how each of the 98 representatives voted

D: Democrat, R: Republican

Yes (60)

No (36)

Didn't vote (2)

Official motion: “PASSAGE”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Senate vote

Passed, 5 to 0 · Jun 4, 2021

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

Official motion: “Public hearing requirement waived by committee on Senate Organization, pursuant to Senate Rule 18 (1m), Ayes 5, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Senate vote to pass it

Passed, 18 to 14 · Jun 9, 2021 · 1 didn't vote

See how each of the 33 senators voted

D: Democrat, R: Republican

Didn't vote (1)

Official motion: “CONCURRENCE”. Official record · This vote on its own page

What happened

  1. May 17, 2022

    The veto stood. Lawmakers didn't override it.

  2. Nov 15, 2021

    Sent to the Assembly Committee on Rules.

  3. Jun 30, 2021

    The governor vetoed it.

  4. Jun 24, 2021

    Sent to the governor.

  5. Jun 9, 2021

    The Senate passed it too, 18 to 14.

  6. Jun 4, 2021

    “Public hearing requirement waived by committee on Senate Organization, pursuant to Senate Rule 18 (1m), Ayes 5, Noes 0” (the official wording)

  7. May 14, 2021

    Sent to the Senate Committee on Senate Organization.

  8. May 12, 2021

    The Senate received it.

  9. May 11, 2021

    The Assembly passed it, 60 to 36.

  10. May 11, 2021

    The Assembly adopted it.

  11. May 6, 2021

    Sent to the Assembly Committee on Rules.

  12. May 6, 2021

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

  13. Apr 14, 2021

    The committee held a public hearing.

  14. Apr 8, 2021

    A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.

  15. Mar 19, 2021

    1 more senator signed on in support.

  16. Mar 16, 2021

    Sent to the Assembly Committee on Campaigns and Elections.

  17. Mar 16, 2021

    Introduced in the Assembly.

See the official record, word for word
  1. Mar 16, 2021 · Assembly

    Introduced by Representatives Neylon, Duchow, Magnafici, Edming, Steffen, Spiros, Krug, Knodl, Brooks, Sortwell, Gundrum, Murphy, Jagler, Wichgers and VanderMeer; cosponsored by Senators Stroebel, Roth, Darling, Marklein, Jacque, Wanggaard, Bradley, Nass, Ballweg and Felzkowski

  2. Mar 16, 2021 · Assembly

    Read first time and referred to Committee on Campaigns and Elections

  3. Mar 19, 2021 · Assembly

    Senator Wimberger added as a cosponsor

  4. Apr 6, 2021 · Assembly

    Assembly Amendment 1 offered by Representative Neylon

  5. Apr 8, 2021 · Assembly

    Fiscal estimate received

  6. Apr 14, 2021 · Assembly

    Assembly Amendment 2 offered by Representative Neylon

  7. Apr 14, 2021 · Assembly

    Public hearing held

  8. Apr 27, 2021 · Assembly

    Executive action taken

  9. May 6, 2021 · Assembly

    Report Assembly Amendment 2 adoption recommended by Committee on Campaigns and Elections, Ayes 5, Noes 3

  10. May 6, 2021 · Assembly

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

  11. May 6, 2021 · Assembly

    Referred to committee on Rules

  12. May 6, 2021 · Assembly

    Placed on calendar 5-11-2021 by Committee on Rules

  13. May 11, 2021 · Assembly

    Read a second time

  14. May 11, 2021 · Assembly

    Assembly Amendment 2 adopted

  15. May 11, 2021 · Assembly

    Ordered to a third reading

  16. May 11, 2021 · Assembly

    Rules suspended

  17. May 11, 2021 · Assembly

    Read a third time and passed, Ayes 60, Noes 36

  18. May 11, 2021 · Assembly

    Ordered immediately messaged

  19. May 12, 2021 · Senate

    Received from Assembly

  20. May 14, 2021 · Senate

    Read first time and referred to committee on Senate Organization

  21. May 14, 2021 · Senate

    Available for scheduling

  22. Jun 4, 2021 · Senate

    Public hearing requirement waived by committee on Senate Organization, pursuant to Senate Rule 18 (1m), Ayes 5, Noes 0

  23. Jun 4, 2021 · Senate

    Placed on calendar 6-9-2021 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)

  24. Jun 9, 2021 · Senate

    Read a second time

  25. Jun 9, 2021 · Senate

    Ordered to a third reading

  26. Jun 9, 2021 · Senate

    Rules suspended

  27. Jun 9, 2021 · Senate

    Read a third time and concurred in, Ayes 18, Noes 14

  28. Jun 9, 2021 · Senate

    Ordered immediately messaged

  29. Jun 10, 2021 · Assembly

    Received from Senate concurred in

  30. Jun 11, 2021 · Assembly

    LRB correction

  31. Jun 11, 2021 · Assembly

    Report correctly enrolled on 6-11-2021

  32. Jun 24, 2021 · Assembly

    Presented to the Governor on 6-24-2021

  33. Jun 30, 2021 · Assembly

    Report vetoed by the Governor on 6-30-2021

  34. Nov 15, 2021 · Assembly

    Referred to committee on Rules

  35. May 17, 2022 · Assembly

    Placed on calendar 5-17-2022 pursuant to Joint Rule 82 (2)(a)

  36. May 17, 2022 · Assembly

    Failed to pass notwithstanding the objections of the Governor pursuant to Joint Rule 82

Terms on this page

Veto override

Lawmakers can still pass a bill the governor vetoed, but it takes two-thirds of each chamber.

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

Veto override

Lawmakers can still pass a bill the governor vetoed, but it takes two-thirds of each chamber.

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