Wisconsin Legislative Council
ACT 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
Prepared by: Katie Bender-Olson, Principal Attorney April 1, 2024
2023 Wisconsin Act 126
[2023 Senate Bill 822]
Campaign Finance Filings and
Election Official Protections
2023 WISCONSIN ACT 126
Act 126 makes changes relating to campaign finance filings and creates certain protections for clerks
and other election officials.
Campaign Finance Filings
Candidates for state office and committees that support or oppose those candidates register and file
campaign finance reports with the Wisconsin Ethics Commission. In contrast, under current law,
candidates for local office and committees that support or oppose local candidates and referendums
register and file campaign finance reports with local clerks.
Act 126 requires all state and local candidates and committees to register and file campaign finance
reports with the Ethics Commission. The changes take effect on July 1, 2025.
Protections for Election Officials
Act 126 provides protections for election officials that ensure privacy of their personal information,
prevent negative employment actions for reporting election fraud, and create a special battery crime for
actions against them.
First, the act protects certain personally identifiable information of election officials
1
and election
registration officials against disclosure under the Public Records Law. A governmental authority that
possesses an election official’s or election registration official’s information may only provide access to
the official’s name, city, and state, and cannot provide access to records containing other personally
identifiable information.
Second, Act 126 provides whistleblower protection to a municipal clerk, county clerk, or election official
who lawfully reports election fraud or irregularities. These clerks and election officials cannot be
discharged, disciplined, demoted, or otherwise discriminated against in regard to employment or
threatened with those actions for reporting what they reasonably believe to be election fraud or
irregularities.
Finally, the act creates a crime of battery to election officials. A person who intentionally causes bodily
harm to an election official, election registration official, municipal clerk, or county clerk acting in his or
her official capacity is guilty of a Class I felony.
The protections for election officials take effect on July 1, 2025.
1
Section 5.02 (4e), Stats., defines “election official” to mean an individual who is charged with any duties relating to the
conduct of an election. - 2 -
Effective date: March 23, 2024
For a full history of the bill, visit the Legislature’s bill history page.
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