Senate Bill 361
Authorizing electors to vote in the primary of more than one political party. (FE)
Topics: Political parties, Primary elections
Stopped in committee
It never got a , so it never came up for a vote. The last day for votes this session was Mar 19, 2026. To try again, a lawmaker would have to start a new bill.
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Introduced, passed
Jun 27, 2025
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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, Mar 23, 2026: “Failed to pass pursuant to ”
It never got a hearing in the Senate Committee on Government Operations, Labor and Economic Development. The committee's chair at the time was Dan Feyen. Chairs decide which bills get a hearing. See every bill that never got a hearing this session.
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The same bill was also filed in the Assembly as AB 506. That version died when the session ended.
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.
Under current law, a voter in a partisan primary election may cast a ballot or vote in the column of only one major political party, regardless of the number of candidates who are running for office in that party, if any. Similarly, a voter in a partisan primary may vote for any of the independent candidates for state office, but if the voter chooses this option, he or she may not vote for any party candidates for any office. Candidates of minor parties appear on the ballot as independent candidates.
This bill permits a voter in a partisan primary to “split tickets,” designating the candidate of his or her choice for each office, including the offices of governor and lieutenant governor, regardless of party affiliation. The bill also allows a voter to vote for independent candidates for one or more state offices in a partisan primary, in addition to party candidates for one or more state or county offices. Under the bill, a voter may still vote for only one candidate for each office. The voting procedure at the general election and other partisan elections is unaffected by the bill.
Read the full summary Show less
The bill initially applies to voting at the 2026 partisan primary election.
Who's behind it
4 senators are its . All 4 are Democrats.
9 more lawmakers .
See all 13 names Hide the names
Authors (4)
- Tim Carpenter · Democrat, Senate
- Sarah Keyeski · Democrat, Senate
- Mark Spreitzer · Democrat, Senate
- Jamie Wall · Democrat, Senate
Signed on in support (9)
- Mike Bare · Democrat, Assembly
- Angelina Cruz · Democrat, Assembly
- Jenna Jacobson · Democrat, Assembly
- Alex Joers · Democrat, Assembly
- Vinnie Miresse · Democrat, Assembly
- Sylvia Ortiz-Velez · Democrat, Assembly
- Christine Sinicki · Democrat, Assembly
- Lee Snodgrass · Democrat, Assembly
- Randy Udell · Democrat, Assembly
What it would cost
State agencies filed a . Each opens as a PDF from the Legislature.
What happened
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Mar 23, 2026
The session ended, and the bill died with it.
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Jan 9, 2026
1 more representative signed on in support.
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Jul 22, 2025
A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.
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Jun 27, 2025
Sent to the Senate Committee on Government Operations, Labor and Economic Development.
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Jun 27, 2025
Introduced in the Senate.
See the official record, word for word Hide the official record
- Jun 27, 2025 · Senate
Introduced by Senators Carpenter, Spreitzer, Keyeski and Wall; cosponsored by Representatives Ortiz-Velez, Snodgrass, Bare, Cruz, Joers, Miresse, Sinicki and Udell
- Jun 27, 2025 · Senate
Read first time and referred to Committee on Government Operations, Labor and Economic Development
- Jul 22, 2025 · Senate
Fiscal estimate received
- Jan 9, 2026 · Senate
Representative J. Jacobson added as a cosponsor
- Mar 23, 2026 · 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