SB 685

Early canvassing of absentee ballots

Under current law, absentee ballots may not be canvassed until election day.

Current law additionally provides that any municipality may provide by ordinance

that, in lieu of canvassing absentee ballots at polling places, a municipal board of

absentee ballot canvassers established by the municipality is responsible for

canvassing all absentee ballots received by the municipal clerk by 8 p.m. on election

day. In such a municipality, the board of absentee ballot canvassers is required to

convene a meeting any time after the polls open and before 10 p.m. on election day

to canvass the absentee ballots cast in the municipality in the election. Among the

requirements governing such a meeting, any member of the public has the same right

of access to the meeting that the individual would have to observe the canvassing of

absentee ballots at a polling place.

This bill does all of the following:

1. Requires the municipal board of absentee ballot canvassers in a municipality

having an ordinance described above to begin canvassing absentee ballots on the day

before an election. Canvassing absentee ballots on the day before the election is

optional except for each spring and general election and each special election or recall

election if the special or recall election is for a state or national office.

2. Provides that the board of absentee ballot canvassers must publicly convene

at 7 a.m. on the day before the election to begin the canvass of absentee ballots for

the municipality and recess at 8 p.m. on that day.

3. Requires that at 7 a.m., noon, and 8 p.m. on the day before the election, and

at 7 a.m., noon, and 8 p.m. on election day, the municipal clerk or his or her designee

or the municipal board of election inspectors must provide to the county clerk or

county board of election inspectors of the county in which the municipality is located

a statement that shows the total number of absentee ballots returned to the

municipality and the total number of absentee ballots the municipal board of

absentee ballot canvassers has canvassed. The county clerk or county board of

election inspectors must promptly post each statement on the website on which

returns for the county are posted on election night. In a municipality having a

municipal board of election commissioners (currently, only the city of Milwaukee),

the municipal board of election commissioners must also post the statement on the

website maintained by the municipal board of election commissioners. The

statement may not include the names or addresses of any electors. An absentee

ballot is considered canvassed for purposes of this reporting requirement only after

all tasks have been completed in the canvassing process except for the tallying of

votes.

4. Requires that when the meeting of the board of absentee ballot canvassers

recesses on the day before the election, the board must secure the automatic

tabulating equipment, and the areas where the programmed media, memory