Senate Bill 518
Polling place accessibility. (FE)
Topics: Elections, Elections Commission, Persons with disabilities
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
Oct 9, 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 535. 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.
Current law requires that each polling place be accessible to all individuals with disabilities. No later than June 30 of each odd-numbered year, the Elections Commission must submit a report on impediments to voting faced by the elderly and individuals with disabilities to the appropriate standing committees of the legislature. The commission must consult with appropriate advocacy groups representing the elderly and individuals with disabilities when preparing the report.
This bill requires the Elections Commission to establish an election day accessibility checklist for an election official to complete at each polling place to assess whether the polling place presents any limitations that may prevent individuals with disabilities from voting. The bill requires the election official to immediately notify the chief inspector or municipal clerk of any such limitations. The commission must establish the checklist before the 2027 spring election. In addition, the commission must periodically update the checklist no later than 12 months following the release of the report that the commission must submit to the legislature regarding impediments to voting faced by the elderly and individuals with disabilities.
Read the full summary Show less
Under current law, if an election inspector is informed that a voter is at the polling place entrance but unable to enter the polling place because of the voter’s disability, the inspector must allow the voter to receive assistance marking the voter’s ballot at the polling place entrance. This process is often referred to as “curbside voting.” The bill requires the Elections Commission to provide uniform instructions for the content and placement of signs notifying voters with disabilities that they may receive a ballot and voting assistance at the polling place entrance. The commission must publish the instructions before the 2027 spring election.
Who's behind it
6 senators are its . All 6 are Democrats.
20 more lawmakers .
See all 26 names Hide the names
Authors (6)
- Kristin Dassler-Alfheim · Democrat, Senate
- Sarah Keyeski · Democrat, Senate
- LaTonya Johnson · Democrat, Senate
- Chris Larson · Democrat, Senate
- Melissa Ratcliff · Democrat, Senate
- Mark Spreitzer · Democrat, Senate
Signed on in support (20)
- Deb Andraca · Democrat, Assembly
- Margaret Arney · Democrat, Assembly
- Mike Bare · Democrat, Assembly
- Brienne Brown · Democrat, Assembly
- Ryan Clancy · Democrat, Assembly
- Ben DeSmidt · Democrat, Assembly
- Jodi Emerson · Democrat, Assembly
- Jenna Jacobson · Democrat, Assembly
- Tara Johnson · Democrat, Assembly
- Darrin Madison · Democrat, Assembly
- Maureen McCarville · Democrat, Assembly
- Supreme Moore Omokunde · Democrat, Assembly
- Greta Neubauer · Democrat, Assembly
- Sylvia Ortiz-Velez · Democrat, Assembly
- Christian Phelps · Democrat, Assembly
- Ann Roe · Democrat, Assembly
- Lee Snodgrass · Democrat, Assembly
- Angela Stroud · Democrat, Assembly
- Lisa Subeck · 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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Feb 9, 2026
1 more representative signed on in support.
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Oct 29, 2025
A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.
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Oct 10, 2025
1 more representative signed on in support.
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Oct 9, 2025
Sent to the Senate Committee on Government Operations, Labor and Economic Development.
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Oct 9, 2025
Introduced in the Senate.
See the official record, word for word Hide the official record
- Oct 9, 2025 · Senate
Introduced by Senators Ratcliff, Dassler-Alfheim, L. Johnson, Keyeski, Larson and Spreitzer; cosponsored by Representatives Snodgrass, Andraca, Arney, Bare, Brown, Clancy, DeSmidt, Emerson, Johnson, Madison, McCarville, Moore Omokunde, Neubauer, Ortiz-Velez, Phelps, Roe, Stroud and Udell
- Oct 9, 2025 · Senate
Read first time and referred to Committee on Government Operations, Labor and Economic Development
- Oct 10, 2025 · Senate
Representative Subeck added as a cosponsor
- Oct 29, 2025 · Senate
Fiscal estimate received
- Feb 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