WI
Wisconsin Senate Bill SB306

Wisconsin 2023-2024 Regular Session

Wisconsin Senate Bill SB306

Introduced
5/24/23  
Refer
5/24/23  

Caption

Requiring identification of a military voter for voting absentee.

Impact

The implementation of SB306 will directly affect voting statutes related to absentee ballots in Wisconsin. Currently, military voters are granted some leniency in identification requirements; however, this bill strengthens those requirements by adding the DOD number verification. While supporters argue that this measure adds necessary security and accountability to the electoral process, opponents express concern that it may unnecessarily complicate the voting process for military personnel, which could dissuade them from participating in elections.

Summary

Senate Bill 306 aims to enhance the absentee voting process for military voters by requiring them to provide valid identification in the form of their federal Department of Defense (DOD) number when applying for an absentee ballot. This requirement seeks to ensure that military voters, who may be deployed or stationed away from their voting jurisdiction, are properly verified before receiving their ballot. Under the new regulations, municipal clerks must verify the DOD number against records from the Department of Military Affairs. In cases where verification is not completed by election day, military ballots will be treated as provisional until verification can occur within a specified timeframe after the election.

Contention

There are notable points of contention surrounding SB306, particularly regarding the accessibility and practicality of the new identification requirements. Critics question whether the new protocols may hinder military voters' ability to easily vote absentee, given the complexities of obtaining and submitting the required information securely. Concerns also center around the privacy of the DOD number, as the bill stipulates that this information will not be made publicly available, thus raising discussions about balancing verification needs against voter privacy.

Latest SB306 Activity

Companion Bills

No companion bills found.

Previously Filed As

WI AB299

Requiring identification of a military voter for voting absentee.

WI SB582

Status as an indefinitely confined voter for purposes of automatically receiving absentee ballots and providing a penalty. (FE)

WI AB494

Status as an indefinitely confined voter for purposes of automatically receiving absentee ballots and providing a penalty. (FE)

WI SB966

Witness address requirements on absentee ballot certificates, curing defects on absentee ballot certificates, and providing a penalty.

WI AB1037

Witness address requirements on absentee ballot certificates, curing defects on absentee ballot certificates, and providing a penalty.

WI HB2785

Early voting; absentee; military

WI SB631

Certain kinds of election fraud, defects on absentee ballot certificates, returning absentee ballots to the office of the municipal clerk, appointment of election officials, allowing an employee of a residential care facility or qualified retirement home to serve as a personal care voting assistant during a public health emergency or an incident of infectious disease, and providing a penalty. (FE)

WI AB570

Certain kinds of election fraud, defects on absentee ballot certificates, returning absentee ballots to the office of the municipal clerk, appointment of election officials, allowing an employee of a residential care facility or qualified retirement home to serve as a personal care voting assistant during a public health emergency or an incident of infectious disease, and providing a penalty. (FE)

WI HCR2025

Voter identification; voting

WI HCR2040

In-person precinct voting; absentee voters

Similar Bills

WI AB299

Requiring identification of a military voter for voting absentee.

PA HB976

In preliminary provisions, further providing for definitions; in qualifications of electors, further providing for qualifications of electors at primaries; in party organization, further providing for only enrolled electors to vote at primaries or hold party offices; in nomination of candidates, further providing for candidates to be nominated and party officers to be elected at primaries and providing for procedure for unenrolled electors to cast primary ballots; in preparation for and conduct of primaries and elections, further providing for manner of applying to vote, persons entitled to vote, voter's certificates, entries to be made in district register, numbered lists of voters and challenges; in voting by qualified absentee electors, further providing for applications for official absentee ballots; in voting by qualified mail-in electors, further providing for applications for official mail-in ballots; in returns of primaries and elections, further providing for computation of returns by county board, certification and issuance of certificates of election; and, in penalties, further providing for election officers refusing to permit elector to vote in proper party at primaries and repealing provisions relating to elector voting ballot of wrong party at primary.

MT SB276

Generally revise voter identification laws

PA HB979

In preliminary provisions, further providing for definitions; in qualifications of electors, further providing for qualifications of electors at primaries; in party organization, further providing for only enrolled electors to vote at primaries or hold party offices; in nomination of candidates, further providing for candidates to be nominated and party officers to be elected at primaries and providing for procedure for unenrolled electors to cast primary ballots; in preparation for and conduct of primaries and elections, further providing for manner of applying to vote, persons entitled to vote, voter's certificates, entries to be made in district register, numbered lists of voters and challenges; in voting by qualified absentee electors, further providing for applications for official absentee ballots; in voting by qualified mail-in electors, further providing for applications for official mail-in ballots; in returns of primaries and elections, further providing for computation of returns by county board, certification and issuance of certificates of election; and, in penalties, further providing for election officers refusing to permit elector to vote in proper party at primaries and repealing provisions relating to elector voting ballot of wrong party at primary.

PA HB280

In preliminary provisions, further providing for definitions; in qualifications of electors, further providing for qualifications of electors at primaries; in party organization, further providing for only enrolled electors to vote at primaries or hold party offices; in nomination of candidates, further providing for candidates to be nominated and party officers to be elected at primaries and providing for procedure for unenrolled electors to cast primary ballots; in preparation for and conduct of primaries and elections, further providing for manner of applying to vote, persons entitled to vote, voter's certificates, entries to be made in district register, numbered lists of voters and challenges; in voting by qualified absentee electors, further providing for applications for official absentee ballots; in voting by qualified mail-in electors, further providing for applications for official mail-in ballots; in returns of primaries and elections, further providing for computation of returns by county board, certification and issuance of certificates of election; and, in penalties, further providing for election officers refusing to permit elector to vote in proper party at primaries and repealing provisions relating to elector voting ballot of wrong party at primary.

PA SB1038

In preliminary provisions, further providing for definitions; in county boards of elections, further providing for powers and duties of county boards; in preparation for and conduct of primaries and elections, further providing for manner of applying to vote, persons entitled to vote, voter's certificates, entries to be made in district register, numbered lists of voters and challenges and for what ballots shall be counted and manner of counting and defective ballots; in voting by qualified absentee electors, further providing for applications for official absentee ballots, for date of application for absentee ballot, for approval of application for absentee ballot, for absentee and mail-in electors files and lists, for official absentee voters ballots, for envelopes for official absentee ballots, for voting by absentee electors and for canvassing of official absentee ballots and mail-in ballots and providing for violation of provisions relating to absentee voting; and, in voting by qualified mail-in electors, further providing for applications for official mail-in ballots, for date of application for mail-in ballot and for approval of application for mail-in ballot, providing for mail-in electors' files and lists, further providing for official mail-in elector ballots, for envelopes for official mail-in ballots and for voting by mail-in electors and providing for violation of provisions relating to mail-in voting.

WI SB582

Status as an indefinitely confined voter for purposes of automatically receiving absentee ballots and providing a penalty. (FE)

WI AB494

Status as an indefinitely confined voter for purposes of automatically receiving absentee ballots and providing a penalty. (FE)