AB 299

Current law does not require a military voter to provide proof of identification

when applying for an absentee ballot. This bill requires a military voter to provide

his or her federal Department of Defense number on the application for an absentee

ballot and requires the municipal clerk to verify with the state Department of

Military Affairs that the DOD number conforms to the voter's name on the

application. The military voter is also required to complete a consent for release of

information form provided by the clerk and approved by the DOD. If the clerk is

unable to verify the DOD number before election day, the ballot is considered to be

a provisional ballot. If the clerk is unable to verify the number before 4 p.m. on the

Friday following the election, the ballot will not be counted, but the clerk will

continue his or her efforts to verify the voter's DOD number so the voter may use that

number to vote at subsequent elections. Generally, under current law, a voter must

present proof of identification when applying for an absentee ballot and the

municipal clerk must verify that the proof of identification conforms to the voter's

name on the application.

Under the bill, if a military voter elects to return his or her absentee ballot by

electronic mail and does so no later than 30 days before the election, the clerk has

90 days following the election to verify the voter's DOD number. If a military voter

mails in the absentee ballot or votes absentee in person, the clerk must verify the

elector's DOD number within 48 hours after receiving the ballot. Also, if the military

voter elects to return his or her absentee ballot by electronic mail, the voter must

return the ballot using his or her DOD electronic mail address.

Under current law, if a voter has received an absentee ballot by mail for a

previous election, submitted proof of identification, and has not changed his or her

name or address since providing proof of identification, the voter is not required to

provide proof of identification with subsequent absentee ballot applications. Under

the bill, if a military voter has received an absentee ballot by mail for a previous

election, submitted his or her DOD number, and has not changed his or her name or

address since providing that number, the military voter is not required to provide his

or her DOD number with subsequent absentee ballot applications, except the

military voter must provide his or her DOD number at least once every six years.

Under the bill, the public does not have access to a military voter's DOD number

provided for purposes of obtaining an absentee ballot.

Current law allows a military voter to use the federal postcard registration and

absentee ballot request form to apply for an absentee ballot. If a military voter has

a Wisconsin-issued photo identification or a social security number, the military

voter must provide a copy of that identification or the last four digits of his or her

social security number. If the military voter has neither, the voter must indicate that

on the form, but is still eligible to receive and complete an absentee ballot. This bill

does not affect the use of the federal postcard registration and absentee ballot