AB 574

Under current law, if a voter who appears on the official voter registration list maintained by the Elections Commission becomes ineligible to vote for any reason, his or her status is changed from “eligible” to “ineligible” on the registration list.

Under this bill, if a voter who appears on the registration list becomes ineligible to vote for any reason, he or she must be removed from the list. Consistent with current law, an individual who is removed from the registration list and subsequently becomes eligible to register to vote in Wisconsin may reregister as provided by law.

In order to maintain an updated voter registration list, current law allows a municipality to direct the municipal clerk to arrange with the U.S. Postal Service to receive change of address information regarding individuals residing in the municipality. The arrangement with USPS must provide for receiving change of address information on an automatic basis or not less often than once every two years during the 60 days preceding the close of registration for the partisan primary. Under current law, if a municipal clerk makes such an arrangement with USPS, the clerk is not required to comply with the procedure for mailing address verification cards following each general election.

This bill requires that each municipality direct its municipal clerk to arrange with USPS to receive change of address information regarding individuals residing in the municipality. Under the bill, USPS must provide the information on an automatic basis, but not less often than once every 60 days. In addition, the clerk must comply with the procedure for mailing address verification cards following each general election. Furthermore, the bill requires the Elections Commission to create an online form to be used by a voter to provide change of address information to the appropriate municipal clerk. The online form must include an electronic method for verifying the voter's current address using the USPS change of address information.

Under the bill, the municipal clerk must examine the change of address information no later than 60 days before an election. The bill also provides, generally, that the municipal clerk examine change of address information received from USPS for purposes of updating the registration list and verifying a voter’s address. Finally, those voters who have moved to a location outside of the municipality are removed from the registration list.

Under the bill, no municipal clerk may send an absentee ballot to a voter without first verifying the elector’s address with USPS.