Wisconsin 2023-2024 Regular Session

Wisconsin Senate Bill SJR94 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	LRB-5232/1
2	2	MPG:cjs
3	3	2023 - 2024 LEGISLATURE
4	4	2023 SENATE JOINT RESOLUTIO N 94
5	5	December 19, 2023 - Introduced by Senators STROEBEL, NASS, BALLWEG, TOMCZYK
6	6	and WANGGAARD, cosponsored by Representatives BODDEN, GREEN, GOEBEN,
7	7	ALLEN, BEHNKE, BRANDTJEN, DITTRICH, EDMING, GUNDRUM, GUSTAFSON,
8	8	MAGNAFICI, MELOTIK, MURPHY, RETTINGER, TITTL, VANDERMEER, CALLAHAN,
9	9	SCHRAA, ROZAR, BROOKS and MAXEY. Referred to Committee on Shared
10	10	Revenue, Elections and Consumer Protection.
11	11	*AUTHORS SUBJECT TO CHANGE*
12	12	To create section 7 of article III and section 8 of article III of the constitution;
13	13	relating to: prohibiting ranked-choice voting in Wisconsin elections and
14	14	prohibiting voting for candidates of more than one political party in primaries
15	15	for partisan office (first consideration).
16	16	Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
17	17	This constitutional amendment, proposed to the 2023 legislature on first
18	18	consideration, prohibits the use of ranked-choice voting in Wisconsin elections and
19	19	prohibits voting for candidates of more than one political party in partisan primaries
20	20	held in the state.
21	21	RANKED-CHOICE VOTING
22	22	Ranked-choice voting is a voting method in which voters at an election are
23	23	permitted to indicate and order their preferences for all candidates whose names
24	24	appear on the ballot for the same office, rather than being required to vote for a single
25	25	candidate for that office. Typically, under ranked-choice voting, tabulation of the
26	26	votes then occurs in rounds, with each round dropping the candidate with the least
27	27	support until a single candidate garners a majority of the ranked votes cast.
28	28	Under the constitutional amendment, any election in Wisconsin utilizing
29	29	ranked-choice voting is invalid, and no individual may assume public office on the
30	30	basis of such an election.
31	31	MULTIPLE-PARTY PARTISAN PRIMARY VOTING
32	32	The constitutional amendment additionally prohibits the use of a voting
33	33	method in Wisconsin partisan primaries, including recall and special primaries for
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38	38	LRB-5232/1
39	39	MPG:cjs
40	40	2023 - 2024 Legislature
41	41	partisan office, in which voters may cast votes for candidates of more than one
42	42	political party or in which more than one candidate for each elective partisan office
43	43	from each political party may advance from the primary to the final election. Under
44	44	the constitutional amendment, any primary for a partisan office utilizing such a
45	45	voting method is invalid.
46	46	A constitutional amendment requires adoption by two successive legislatures,
47	47	and ratification by the people, before it can become effective.
48	48	Resolved by the senate, the assembly concurring, That:
49	49	SECTION 1. Section 7 of article III of the constitution is created to read:
50	50	[Article III] Section 7. No election conducted in this state may use a voting
51	51	method in which electors may cast ballots ranking multiple candidates for the same
52	52	elective office in order of preference and in which those ballots are then tabulated in
53	53	rounds eliminating each candidate until a single candidate reaches a majority of the
54	54	ranked votes cast. Any election in this state utilizing such a voting method is invalid,
55	55	and no individual may assume public office on the basis of such an election.
56	56	SECTION 2. Section 8 of article III of the constitution is created to read:
57	57	[Article III] Section 8. No primary for a partisan office conducted in this state
58	58	may use a voting method in which electors may cast votes for candidates of more than
59	59	one political party, and no more than one candidate for each elective partisan office
60	60	from each political party may advance from a partisan primary to the final election.
61	61	Any primary for a partisan office utilizing such a voting method is invalid.
62	62	SECTION 3. Numbering of new provisions. If another constitutional
63	63	amendment ratified by the people creates the number of any provision created in this
64	64	joint resolution, the chief of the legislative reference bureau shall determine the
65	65	sequencing and the numbering of the provisions whose numbers conflict.
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84	84	LRB-5232/1
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86	86	SECTION 3
87	87	2023 - 2024 Legislature
88	88	Be it further resolved, That this proposed amendment be referred to the
89	89	legislature to be chosen at the next general election and that it be published for three
90	90	months previous to the time of holding such election.
91	91	(END)
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