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2023 - 2024 LEGISLATURE
2023 ASSEMBLY JOINT RESOLUTIO N 101
January 2, 2024 - Introduced by Representatives BODDEN, GREEN, GOEBEN, ALLEN,
BEHNKE, BRANDTJEN, DITTRICH, EDMING, GUNDRUM, GUSTAFSON, MAGNAFICI,
MELOTIK, MURPHY, RETTINGER, TITTL, VANDERMEER, CALLAHAN, SCHRAA, ROZAR
and MAXEY, cosponsored by Senators STROEBEL, NASS, BALLWEG, TOMCZYK and
WANGGAARD. Referred to Committee on Campaigns and Elections.
***AUTHORS SUBJECT TO CHANGE***
To create section 7 of article III and section 8 of article III of the constitution;
relating to: prohibiting ranked-choice voting in Wisconsin elections and
prohibiting voting for candidates of more than one political party in primaries
for partisan office (first consideration).
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
This constitutional amendment, proposed to the 2023 legislature on first
consideration, prohibits the use of ranked-choice voting in Wisconsin elections and
prohibits voting for candidates of more than one political party in partisan primaries
held in the state.
RANKED-CHOICE VOTING
Ranked-choice voting is a voting method in which voters at an election are
permitted to indicate and order their preferences for all candidates whose names
appear on the ballot for the same office, rather than being required to vote for a single
candidate for that office. Typically, under ranked-choice voting, tabulation of the
votes then occurs in rounds, with each round dropping the candidate with the least
support until a single candidate garners a majority of the ranked votes cast.
Under the constitutional amendment, any election in Wisconsin utilizing
ranked-choice voting is invalid, and no individual may assume public office on the
basis of such an election.
MULTIPLE-PARTY PARTISAN PRIMARY VOTING
The constitutional amendment additionally prohibits the use of a voting
method in Wisconsin partisan primaries, including recall and special primaries for
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partisan office, in which voters may cast votes for candidates of more than one
political party or in which more than one candidate for each elective partisan office
from each political party may advance from the primary to the final election. Under
the constitutional amendment, any primary for a partisan office utilizing such a
voting method is invalid.
A constitutional amendment requires adoption by two successive legislatures,
and ratification by the people, before it can become effective.
Resolved by the assembly, the senate concurring, That:
SECTION 1. Section 7 of article III of the constitution is created to read:
[Article III] Section 7. No election conducted in this state may use a voting
method in which electors may cast ballots ranking multiple candidates for the same
elective office in order of preference and in which those ballots are then tabulated in
rounds eliminating each candidate until a single candidate reaches a majority of the
ranked votes cast. Any election in this state utilizing such a voting method is invalid,
and no individual may assume public office on the basis of such an election.
SECTION 2. Section 8 of article III of the constitution is created to read:
[Article III] Section 8. No primary for a partisan office conducted in this state
may use a voting method in which electors may cast votes for candidates of more than
one political party, and no more than one candidate for each elective partisan office
from each political party may advance from a partisan primary to the final election.
Any primary for a partisan office utilizing such a voting method is invalid.
SECTION 3. Numbering of new provisions. If another constitutional
amendment ratified by the people creates the number of any provision created in this
joint resolution, the chief of the legislative reference bureau shall determine the
sequencing and the numbering of the provisions whose numbers conflict.
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SECTION 3
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Be it further resolved, That this proposed amendment be referred to the
legislature to be chosen at the next general election and that it be published for three
months previous to the time of holding such election.
(END)
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