Wisconsin 2023-2024 Regular Session

Wisconsin Senate Bill SB887 Compare Versions

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

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3	3	2023 - 2024 LEGISLATURE
4	4	2023 SENATE BILL 887
5	5	January 5, 2024 - Introduced by Senator TOMCZYK. Referred to Committee on
6	6	Shared Revenue, Elections and Consumer Protection.
7	7	*AUTHORS SUBJECT TO CHANGE*
8	8	AN ACT to amend 6.875 (4) (a) and 6.875 (6) (c) 2. of the statutes; relating to:
9	9	absentee voting in certain residential care facilities and retirement homes.
10	10	Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
11	11	Under current law, absentee voting in person inside residential care facilities
12	12	and qualified retirement homes may be conducted only if the municipal clerk or
13	13	board of election commissioners adopts procedures allowing voters residing in such
14	14	a facility or home to apply for, receive, and complete an absentee ballot by means of
15	15	special voting deputies dispatched to the facility or home for that purpose. A
16	16	municipality that appoints special voting deputies must appoint at least two special
17	17	voting deputies for the municipality and the deputies must be eligible voters of the
18	18	county where the municipality is located. In addition, the two deputies designated
19	19	to visit each qualified retirement home and residential care facility must be affiliated
20	20	with different political parties whenever deputies representing different parties are
21	21	available.
22	22	Under current law, the special voting deputies must, not later than 5 p.m. on
23	23	the sixth working day preceding an election, arrange with the administrator of the
24	24	qualified retirement home or residential care facility one or more convenient times
25	25	to visit the home or facility. The administrator of the home or facility may, upon the
26	26	request of a relative of an occupant of the home or facility notify the relative of the
27	27	time or times at which special voting deputies will conduct absentee voting at the
28	28	home or facility. Current law also requires that the visits may be no earlier than the
29	29	fourth Monday preceding the election and no later than 5 p.m. on the Monday
30	30	preceding the election.
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34	34	SENATE BILL 887
35	35	Under the bill, each administrator of a qualified retirement home or residential
36	36	care facility must consult with the municipal clerk, no later than November 1 of the
37	37	even-numbered year, to establish a written plan ensuring that residents of the home
38	38	or facility are able to vote using special voting deputies. In addition, the bill requires
39	39	the administrator to provide a copy of the plan to all individuals designated as a
40	40	contact by the occupants of the home or facility. Under current law, the administrator
41	41	of a home or facility must notify a resident's relative of the times at which special
42	42	voting deputies will conduct absentee voting at the home or facility and permit the
43	43	relative to be present in the room where the voting is conducted. Under the bill, the
44	44	administrator must provide the same notice to each individual designated as a
45	45	contact by the resident and permit each such individual to be present in the room
46	46	where the voting is conducted. In addition, the bill authorizes the Department of
47	47	Health Services to revoke any permit or license that DHS has issued to the home or
48	48	facility if the administrator of the home or facility fails to provide the notices
49	49	described under current law and under the bill.
50	50	The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
51	51	enact as follows:
52	52	SECTION 1. 6.875 (4) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:
53	53	6.875 (4) (a) For the purpose of absentee voting in qualified retirement homes
54	54	and residential care facilities, the municipal clerk or board of election commissioners
55	55	of each municipality in which one or more qualified retirement homes or residential
56	56	care facilities are located shall appoint at least 2 special voting deputies for the
57	57	municipality. Except as provided in par. (am), upon application under s. 6.86 (1), (2),
58	58	or (2m) by one or more qualified electors who are occupants of a home or facility, the
59	59	municipal clerk or board of election commissioners of the municipality in which the
60	60	home or facility is located shall dispatch 2 special voting deputies to visit the home
61	61	or facility for the purpose of supervising absentee voting procedure by occupants of
62	62	the home or facility. The clerk or board of election commissioners shall maintain a
63	63	list, available to the public upon request, of each home or facility where special voting
64	64	deputies are dispatched. The list shall include the date and time the deputies intend
65	65	to visit each home or facility. The 2 deputies designated to visit each qualified
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82	82	SECTION 1
83	83	SENATE BILL 887
84	84	retirement home and residential care facility shall be affiliated with different
85	85	political parties whenever deputies representing different parties are available. No
86	86	qualified retirement home or residential care facility may deny entry to a special
87	87	voting deputy. The department of health services shall revoke any permit or license
88	88	issued by the department to a qualified retirement home or residential care facility
89	89	that denies entry to a special voting deputy. No later than November 1 of an
90	90	even-numbered year, each administrator of a qualified retirement home or
91	91	residential care facility shall consult with the municipal clerk of the municipality
92	92	where the home or facility is located to establish a written plan ensuring that
93	93	residents of the home or facility are able to vote in accordance with this section. The
94	94	administrator of the qualified retirement home or residential care facility shall
95	95	provide a copy of the plan established under this paragraph to all individuals
96	96	designated as a contact by the occupants of the home or facility.
97	97	SECTION 2. 6.875 (6) (c) 2. of the statutes is amended to read:
98	98	6.875 (6) (c) 2. Upon the request of a relative of an occupant of a qualified
99	99	retirement home or residential care facility, the administrator of the home or facility
100	100	may notify the relative of the time or times at which special voting deputies will
101	101	conduct absentee voting at the home or facility and permit the relative to be present
102	102	in the room where the voting is conducted. The administrator shall also provide the
103	103	same notice to each individual designated as a contact by the occupant. Any
104	104	individual receiving the notice may be present in the room where the voting is
105	105	conducted. The department of health services shall revoke any permit or license
106	106	issued by the department to a qualified retirement home or residential care facility
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131	131	SECTION 2 SENATE BILL 887
132	132	if the administrator of the home or facility fails to provide the notices described under
133	133	this subdivision.
134	134	(END)
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