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February 24, 2022 - Offered by Representatives S. Rodriguez, Emerson, Moore
Omokunde
, Spreitzer, Hintz, Brostoff, Conley, Doyle, Drake, Andraca,
Billings, Considine, Haywood, Hebl, Hesselbein, Hong, Baldeh, Ohnstad,
McGuire, B. Meyers, Pope, Neubauer, Shankland, Snodgrass, Sinicki,
Shelton, Subeck, Vining, Vruwink, Anderson and Cabrera.
SB940-ASA1,1,5 1An Act to amend 5.056, 6.33 (2) (a), 6.35 (3), 6.86 (3) (c) and 85.61 (1); and to
2create
6.274, 6.29 (2) (e) and 343.14 (2p) of the statutes; relating to: automatic
3voter registration, the integration of voter registration information with
4information maintained by the Department of Transportation and other state
5agencies, and granting rule-making authority.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
This bill requires the Elections Commission to facilitate the registration of all
eligible electors of this state and to maintain the registration of all eligible electors
for so long as they remain eligible. The bill directs the commission and the
Department of Transportation to enter into an agreement so that DOT may transfer
information in DOT's records to the commission. The bill requires the commission
to maintain the confidentiality of any information it obtains under the agreement
and allows a driver's license or identification card applicant to “opt out" of DOT's
transfer of this information to the commission. Once the commission obtains all the
information required under current law to complete an elector's registration, the
commission adds the elector's name to the statewide registration list.
The bill also directs the Elections Commission to report to the appropriate
standing committees of the legislature, no later than July 1, 2022, concerning its

progress in implementing the registration system created by the bill. The report
must contain an assessment of the feasibility of integrating registration information
with information maintained by other agencies.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
enact as follows:
SB940-ASA1,1 1Section 1. 5.056 of the statutes is amended to read:
SB940-ASA1,2,10 25.056 Matching program with secretary of transportation. The
3commission administrator shall enter into the agreement with the secretary of
4transportation specified under s. 85.61 (1) to match personally identifiable
5information on the official registration list maintained by the commission under s.
66.36 (1) and the information specified in s. ss. 6.274 (2) and 6.34 (2m) with personally
7identifiable information maintained by the department of transportation. Subject
8to s. 343.14 (2p) (b), the agreement shall provide for the electronic transfer of
9information under s. 6.274 (2) to the commission on a continuous basis, no less often
10than monthly.
SB940-ASA1,2 11Section 2 . 6.274 of the statutes is created to read:
SB940-ASA1,2,17 126.274 Commission shall facilitate registration of electors. (1) Except as
13provided for electors specified in sub. (7) and as otherwise expressly provided, the
14commission shall use all feasible means to facilitate the registration of all eligible
15electors of this state who are subject to a registration requirement and the
16maintenance of the registration of all eligible electors for so long as they remain
17eligible.
SB940-ASA1,3,2 18(2) Subject to s. 343.14 (2p) (b), for the purpose of carrying out its functions
19under sub. (1), the commission shall obtain the following information from the

1department of transportation, to the extent that the department has the
2information:
SB940-ASA1,3,63 (a) The full name of each individual who holds a current operator's license
4issued to the individual under ch. 343 or a current identification card issued to the
5individual under s. 343.50, together with the following information pertaining to
6that individual:
SB940-ASA1,3,87 1. The current address of the individual together with any address history and
8any name history maintained by the department of transportation.
SB940-ASA1,3,99 2. The date of birth of the individual.
SB940-ASA1,3,1110 3. The number of the operator's license or identification card issued to the
11individual.
SB940-ASA1,3,1612 4. A copy of the document that the applicant provided as proof of citizenship
13and a statement from the department of transportation indicating that the
14department verified the applicant's citizenship. For purposes of this subdivision, the
15applicant shall provide a document that meets the requirements under 42 USC
161320b-7
(d).
SB940-ASA1,3,1917 (b) For each item of information specified in par. (a), the most recent date that
18the item of information was provided to or obtained by the department of
19transportation.
SB940-ASA1,4,3 20(3) The commission shall compare the information obtained under sub. (2) with
21the information in the registration list under s. 6.36 (1) (a). If the commission finds
22discrepancies between the information obtained under sub. (2) regarding an elector
23and the information in the registration list under s. 6.36 (1) (a) regarding that same
24elector, the commission shall contact the elector by mail or telephone or in person to
25resolve the discrepancies. If the commission is able to resolve the discrepancies after

1contacting the elector, the commission shall update the information in the
2registration list. If the commission is unable to contact the elector, the commission
3shall resolve any discrepancies in favor of the information in the registration list.
SB940-ASA1,4,16 4(4) Except as provided in this subsection and sub. (7), if the commission
5concludes that an individual appears eligible to vote in this state but is not
6registered, and the commission has obtained from reliable sources all the
7information required under s. 6.33 (1) to complete the individual's registration, the
8commission shall enter the individual's name on the registration list under s. 6.36
9(1). If the commission has not obtained from reliable sources all the information
10pertaining to an individual that is required under s. 6.33 (1), the commission shall
11attempt to obtain from reliable sources the necessary information under s. 6.33 (1)
12that is required to complete the individual's registration. If a municipality has
13changed the status of an elector from eligible to ineligible under s. 6.50 (2g) and the
14elector's eligibility, name, or residence has not changed, the commission may not
15change the individual's name to eligible status unless the commission first verifies
16that the individual is eligible and wishes to change his or her status to eligible.
SB940-ASA1,4,19 17(5) The commission shall attempt to contact individuals described in sub. (4)
18if necessary to obtain all the information specified in s. 6.33 (1) pertaining to the
19individual that is required to complete the individual's registration.
SB940-ASA1,4,22 20(6) If the commission is able to obtain all the required information specified in
21s. 6.33 (1) pertaining to an individual, the commission shall enter the name of the
22individual on the registration list maintained under s. 6.36 (1) (a).
SB940-ASA1,5,9 23(7) Any individual may file a request with the commission to exclude his or her
24name from the registration list under s. 6.36 (1). Any individual whose name is added
25to the registration list by the commission may file a request with the commission or

1a municipal clerk to have his or her name deleted from the list. A request for
2exclusion or deletion shall be filed in the manner prescribed by the commission. An
3individual who files an exclusion or deletion request under this subsection may
4revoke his or her request by the same means that an individual may request an
5exclusion or deletion. The commission shall ensure that the name of any individual
6who has filed an exclusion or deletion request under this subsection is excluded from
7the registration list or, if the individual's name appears on the list, is removed from
8the registration list and is not added to the list at any subsequent time unless the
9individual files a revocation of his or her request under this subsection.
SB940-ASA1,5,17 10(8) If the commission removes from the registration list under s. 6.36 (1) the
11name of an elector who does not request that his or her name be deleted, other than
12to correct an entry that the commission positively determines to be a duplication or
13to change the name of an individual who is verified to be deceased to ineligible status,
14the commission shall mail the individual a notice of the removal or change in status
15by 1st class postcard at the individual's last-known address. The notice shall provide
16that the individual may apply to have his or her status changed to eligible if he or
17she is a qualified elector.
SB940-ASA1,5,19 18(9) The commission shall attempt to facilitate the initial registration of all
19eligible electors, except as otherwise provided in this section, as soon as practicable.
SB940-ASA1,5,23 20(10) The commission shall maintain the confidentiality of all information
21obtained from the department of transportation under sub. (2) and may use this
22information only for the purpose of carrying out its functions under this section and
23s. 6.34 (2m) and in accordance with the agreement under s. 85.61 (1).
SB940-ASA1,3 24Section 3 . 6.29 (2) (e) of the statutes is created to read:
SB940-ASA1,6,5
16.29 (2) (e) The municipal clerk or clerk's agent shall promptly add the names
2of qualified electors who register and vote under this section to the registration list
3under s. 6.36 (1). The municipal clerk or clerk's agent shall add the names of qualified
4electors who vote at their polling places to the registration list in the manner
5prescribed in s. 6.33 (5) (a).
SB940-ASA1,4 6Section 4. 6.33 (2) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB940-ASA1,6,177 6.33 (2) (a) All information may be recorded by any person, except that the clerk
8shall record the ward and aldermanic district, if any, other geographic information
9under sub. (1), the indication of whether the registration is received by mail, and the
10type of identifying document submitted by the elector as proof of residence under s.
116.34 or the indication of verification of information in lieu of proof of residence under
12s. 6.34 (2m)
. Except as provided in s. 6.30 (5), each elector shall sign his or her own
13name unless the elector is unable to sign his or her name due to physical disability.
14In such case, the elector may authorize another elector to sign the form on his or her
15behalf. If the elector so authorizes, the elector signing the form shall attest to a
16statement that the application is made upon request and by authorization of a named
17elector who is unable to sign the form due to physical disability.
SB940-ASA1,5 18Section 5. 6.35 (3) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB940-ASA1,6,2319 6.35 (3) Original Except for electronic registrations, original registration forms
20shall be maintained in the office of the municipal clerk or board of election
21commissioners at all times. The commission shall maintain electronic registration
22forms and make such forms available for inspection by the municipal clerk, the
23clerk's designated agent, or the board of election commissioners.
SB940-ASA1,6 24Section 6. 6.86 (3) (c) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB940-ASA1,7,20
16.86 (3) (c) An application under par. (a) 1. may be made and a registration form
2under par. (a) 2. may be filed in person at the office of the municipal clerk not earlier
3than 7 days before an election and not later than 5 p.m. on the day of the election.
4A list of hospitalized electors applying for ballots under par. (a) 1. shall be made by
5the municipal clerk and used to check that the electors vote only once, and by
6absentee ballot. If Except as provided in s. 6.34 (2m), if the elector is registering for
7the election after the close of registration or if the elector registered by mail or by
8electronic application
and has not voted in an election in this state, the municipal
9clerk shall inform the agent that proof of residence under s. 6.34 is required and the
10elector shall enclose proof of residence under s. 6.34 in the envelope with the ballot.
11The clerk shall verify that the name on any required proof of identification presented
12by the agent conforms to the name on the elector's application. The clerk shall then
13enter his or her initials on the carrier envelope indicating that the agent presented
14proof of identification to the clerk. The agent is not required to enter a signature on
15the registration list. The ballot shall be sealed by the elector and returned to the
16municipal clerk either by mail or by personal delivery of the agent; but if the ballot
17is returned on the day of the election, the agent shall make personal delivery to the
18polling place serving the hospitalized elector's residence before the closing hour or,
19in municipalities where absentee ballots are canvassed under s. 7.52, to the
20municipal clerk no later than 8 p.m. on election day.
SB940-ASA1,7 21Section 7. 85.61 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB940-ASA1,8,822 85.61 (1) The secretary of transportation and the administrator of the elections
23commission shall enter into an agreement to match personally identifiable
24information on the official registration list maintained by the commission under s.
256.36 (1) and the information specified in s. ss. 6.274 (2) and 6.34 (2m) with personally

1identifiable information in the operating record file database under ch. 343 and
2vehicle registration records under ch. 341 to the extent required to enable the
3secretary of transportation and the administrator of the elections commission to
4verify the accuracy of the information provided for the purpose of voter registration.
5Notwithstanding ss. 110.09 (2), 342.06 (1) (eg), and 343.14 (2j), but subject to s.
6343.14 (2p) (b), the agreement shall provide for the transfer of electronic information
7under s. 6.274 (2) to the commission on a continuous basis, no less often than
8monthly.
SB940-ASA1,8 9Section 8 . 343.14 (2p) of the statutes is created to read:
SB940-ASA1,8,1410 343.14 (2p) (a) The forms for application for a license or identification card or
11for renewal thereof shall inform the applicant of the department's duty to make
12available to the elections commission the information described in s. 6.274 (2) for the
13purposes specified in s. 6.274 (1) and (3) and shall provide the applicant an
14opportunity to elect not to have this information made available for these purposes.
SB940-ASA1,8,2015 (b) If the applicant elects not to have the information described in s. 6.274 (2)
16made available for the purposes specified in s. 6.274 (1) and (3), the department shall
17not make this information available for these purposes. This paragraph does not
18preclude the department from making available to the elections commission
19information for the purposes specified in s. 6.34 (2m) or for any purpose other than
20those specified in s. 6.274 (1) and (3).
SB940-ASA1,9 21Section 9 . Nonstatutory provisions.
SB940-ASA1,9,222 (1) Initial sharing of registration information. Notwithstanding ss. 110.09
23(2), 342.06 (1) (eg), and 343.14 (2j), the department of transportation shall enter into
24and begin transferring information under a revised agreement with the elections

1commission administrator pursuant to s. 85.61 (1) no later than the first day of the
24th month beginning after the effective date of this subsection.
SB940-ASA1,9,173 (2) Report on voter registration information integration. No later than July
41, 2022, the elections commission shall report to the appropriate standing
5committees of the legislature, in the manner specified in s. 13.172 (3), concerning its
6progress in initially implementing a system to ensure the complete and continuous
7registration of all eligible electors in this state, specifically including the operability
8and utility of information integration with the department of transportation and the
9feasibility and desirability of integrating public information maintained by other
10state agencies and by technical colleges with the commission's registration
11information to enhance the completeness and accuracy of the information. At a
12minimum, the report shall contain an assessment of the feasibility and desirability
13of the integration of registration information with information maintained by the
14departments of health services, children and families, workforce development,
15revenue, safety and professional services, and natural resources; the University of
16Wisconsin System; and the technical college system board, as well as the technical
17colleges within each technical college district.
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