Wisconsin Legislative Council
AMENDMENT MEMO
One Ea st Ma in Stre e t, Suite 401 • Ma dison, W I 53703 • (608) 266-1304 • le g.council@le gis.wisconsin.gov • http://www.le gis.wisconsin.gov/lc
Memo published: November 16, 2023 Contact: Katie Bender-Olson, Principal Attorney
2023 Senate Bill 560 Senate Amendment 1
2023 SENATE BILL 560
2023 Senate Bill 560 makes changes to current law relating to election observers. The bill requires that
observation areas for election observers must be located within three feet from tables where voters may
register, and from tables where voters announce their names and addresses and receive a voter number.
Under current law, these observation areas cannot be closer than three feet or farther than eight feet
from these tables. The bill also requires that clerks, chief inspectors, and boards of canvassers must
provide election observers with uniform and nondiscriminatory access to all stages of the voting
process.
Senate Bill 560 provides that any person who violates these provisions may be imprisoned for 90 days
or less, fined $1,000 or less, or both.
SENATE AMENDMENT 1
Senate Amendment 1 changes the misdemeanor crimes created under the bill so they apply only to
election officials, and not to any person. The amendment also provides that all stages of a recount must
be conducted in accordance with s. 7.41, Stats., the election observer statute.
BILL HISTORY
Senate Amendment 1 was offered by Senator Quinn on November 6, 2023. On November 10, 2023, the
Senate Committee on Shared Revenue, Elections and Consumer Protection adopted Senate Amendment
1 on a vote of Ayes, 5; Noes, 0. The committee then passed Senate Bill 560, as amended, on a vote of
Ayes, 3; Noes, 2.
For a full history of the bill, visit the Legislature’s bill history page.
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