Wisconsin 2023-2024 Regular Session

Wisconsin Senate Bill SB562 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	LRB-4849/1
2	2	JK:cdc
3	3	2023 - 2024 LEGISLATURE
4	4	2023 SENATE BILL 562
5	5	October 23, 2023 - Introduced by Senators SMITH, LARSON, ROYS, SPREITZER, TAYLOR,
6	6	HESSELBEIN and AGARD, cosponsored by Representatives SNODGRASS, SHELTON,
7	7	KRUG, J. ANDERSON, CONLEY, CONSIDINE, DRAKE, EMERSON, JOERS, MOORE
8	8	OMOKUNDE, PALMERI and SHANKLAND. Referred to Committee on Shared
9	9	Revenue, Elections and Consumer Protection.
10	10	AN ACT to amend 6.28 (1) (b); and to create 6.28 (2m) of the statutes; relating
11	11	to: voter registration at high schools.
12	12	Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
13	13	Prior to 2011 Wisconsin Act 240, state law required that all public high schools
14	14	be used for voter registration for enrolled students and members of the high school
15	15	staff. Prior law also authorized voter registration to take place at a private high
16	16	school or a tribal school that operates high school grades if requested by the principal.
17	17	This bill reinstates those provisions.
18	18	Under the bill, the municipal clerk must notify the school board of each school
19	19	district in which the municipality is located that high schools will be used for voter
20	20	registration. The school board and the clerk then appoint at least one qualified voter
21	21	at each high school to be a special school registration deputy. The bill allows students
22	22	and staff to register at the school on any day that classes are regularly held. The
23	23	deputies promptly forward the registration forms to the clerk and the clerk adds
24	24	qualified voters to the registration list. The clerk may reject a registration form, but
25	25	the clerk must notify the registrant and inform the registrant of the reason for being
26	26	rejected. Under the bill, a form completed by an individual who will be 18 years of
27	27	age before the next election and who is otherwise qualified to vote must be filed in
28	28	such a way so that the individual is automatically registered to vote when the
29	29	individual is 18.
30	30	Finally, the bill allows a principal of a private high school or tribal school that
31	31	operates high school grades to request that the municipal clerk appoint a qualified
32	32	voter at the school to be a special school registration deputy. Under the bill, the clerk
33	33	1
34	34	2 - 2 -2023 - 2024 Legislature LRB-4849/1
35	35	JK:cdc
36	36	SENATE BILL 562
37	37	must appoint a special school registration deputy if the clerk determines that the
38	38	private high school or tribal school has a substantial number of students residing in
39	39	the municipality.
40	40	For further information see the local fiscal estimate, which will be printed as
41	41	an appendix to this bill.
42	42	The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
43	43	enact as follows:
44	44	SECTION 1. 6.28 (1) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:
45	45	6.28 (1) (b) All applications for registration corrections and additions may be
46	46	made throughout the year at the office of the city board of election commissioners,
47	47	at the office of the municipal clerk, at the office of the county clerk, or at other
48	48	locations provided by the board of election commissioners or the common council in
49	49	cities over 500,000 population or by either or both the municipal clerk, or the common
50	50	council, village or town board in all other municipalities and may also be made
51	51	during the school year at any high school by qualified persons under sub. (2m) (a).
52	52	An elector who wishes to obtain a confidential listing under s. 6.47 (2) shall register
53	53	at the office of the municipal clerk of the municipality where the elector resides.
54	54	SECTION 2. 6.28 (2m) of the statutes is created to read:
55	55	6.28 (2m) AT HIGH SCHOOLS. (a) Public high schools shall be used for
56	56	registration for enrolled students and members of the high school staff.
57	57	(b) The municipal clerk of each municipality shall notify the school board of
58	58	each school district in which the municipality is located that high schools shall be
59	59	used for registration pursuant to par. (a). The school board and the municipal clerk
60	60	shall agree upon the appointment of at least one qualified elector at each high school
61	61	as a special school registration deputy. The municipal clerk shall appoint such
62	62	person as a school registration deputy and explain the person's duties and
63	63	1
64	64	2
65	65	3
66	66	4
67	67	5
68	68	6
69	69	7
70	70	8
71	71	9
72	72	10
73	73	11
74	74	12
75	75	13
76	76	14
77	77	15
78	78	16
79	79	17
80	80	18
81	81	19 - 3 -2023 - 2024 Legislature
82	82	LRB-4849/1
83	83	JK:cdc
84	84	SECTION 2
85	85	SENATE BILL 562
86	86	responsibilities. Students and staff may register at the high school on any day that
87	87	classes are regularly held. The school registration deputies shall promptly forward
88	88	properly completed registration forms to the municipal clerk of the municipality in
89	89	which the registering student or staff member resides. The municipal clerk, upon
90	90	receiving such registration forms, shall add all those registering electors who have
91	91	met the registration requirements to the registration list. The municipal clerk may
92	92	reject any registration form and shall promptly notify the person whose registration
93	93	is rejected of the rejection and the reason therefor. A person whose registration is
94	94	rejected may reapply for registration if he or she is qualified. The form of each high
95	95	school student who is qualified and will be eligible to vote at the next election shall
96	96	be filed in such a way that when a student attains the age of 18 years the student is
97	97	registered to vote automatically. Each school board shall assure that the principal
98	98	of every high school communicates elector registration information to students.
99	99	(c) The principal of any private high school or of any tribal school, as defined
100	100	in s. 115.001 (15m), that operates high school grades that has a substantial number
101	101	of students residing in a municipality may request the municipal clerk to appoint a
102	102	special school registration deputy in accordance with par. (b). Students and staff
103	103	may register at the high school on any day that classes are regularly held. The clerk
104	104	shall appoint a special school registration deputy in the high school if the clerk
105	105	determines the school to have a substantial number of students residing in the
106	106	municipality.
107	107	(END)
108	108	1
109	109	2
110	110	3
111	111	4
112	112	5
113	113	6
114	114	7
115	115	8
116	116	9
117	117	10
118	118	11
119	119	12
120	120	13
121	121	14
122	122	15
123	123	16
124	124	17
125	125	18
126	126	19
127	127	20
128	128	21
129	129	22