11.0101(15)(15) “General election” means the election held in even-numbered years on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November to elect United States senators, representatives in congress, presidential electors, state senators, representatives to the assembly, district attorneys, state officers other than the state superintendent and judicial officers, and county officers other than supervisors and county executives. 11.0101(16)(16) “Independent expenditure” means an expenditure for express advocacy by a person, if the expenditure is not made in coordination with a candidate, candidate committee, candidate’s agent, legislative campaign committee, or political party, as prohibited under s. 11.1203. 11.0101(17)(17) “Independent expenditure committee” means any person, other than an individual, or any permanent or temporary combination of 2 or more persons unrelated by marriage that satisfies any of the following: 11.0101(17)(a)(a) It has the major purpose of making independent expenditures, as specified in the person’s organizational or governing documents, the person’s bylaws, resolutions of the person’s governing body, or registration statements filed by the person under this chapter. 11.0101(17)(b)(b) It uses more than 50 percent of its total spending in a 12-month period on independent expenditures and expenditures made to support or defeat a referendum. In this subdivision, total spending does not include a committee’s fundraising or administrative expenses. 11.0101(18m)(18m) “Internet activity” includes sending or forwarding an electronic message; providing a hyperlink or other direct access on a person’s Internet site to an Internet site operated by another person; blogging; creating, maintaining, or hosting an Internet site; payment by a person of a nominal fee for the use of an Internet site operated by another person; or any other form of communication distributed over the Internet. 11.0101(19)(19) “Legislative campaign committee” means a committee organized in either house of the legislature to support a candidate of a political party for legislative office. 11.0101(21)(21) “National political party committee” means a national committee as defined in 2 USC 431 (14). 11.0101(22)(22) “Negotiable instrument” includes an electronic transfer of funds. 11.0101(23)(23) “Obligation” means any express agreement to make a disbursement, including all of the following: 11.0101(23)(b)(b) A promise or a payment to purchase, rent, or lease tangible personal property. 11.0101(23)(c)(c) A promise or a payment for a service that has been or will be performed. 11.0101(24)(24) “Partisan primary” means the primary held the 2nd Tuesday in August to nominate candidates to be voted for at the general election. 11.0101(25)(a)(a) Subject to par. (b), “political action committee” means any person, other than an individual, or any permanent or temporary combination of 2 or more persons unrelated by marriage that satisfies any of the following: 11.0101(25)(a)1.1. It has the major purpose of express advocacy, as specified in the person’s organizational or governing documents, the person’s bylaws, resolutions of the person’s governing body, or registration statements filed by the person under this chapter. 11.0101(25)(a)2.2. It uses more than 50 percent of its total spending in a 12-month period on expenditures for express advocacy, expenditures made to support or defeat a referendum, and contributions made to a candidate committee, legislative campaign committee, or political party. In this subdivision, total spending does not include a committee’s fundraising or administrative expenses. 11.0101(25)(b)(b) “Political action committee” does not include a candidate committee, legislative campaign committee, political party, or recall committee. 11.0101(26)(a)1.1. A state committee under whose name candidates appear on a ballot at any election and all county, legislative, local, and other affiliated committees authorized to operate under the same name. 11.0101(26)(a)2.2. A committee described under subd. 1. that makes and accepts contributions and makes disbursements to support or oppose a candidate for state or local office or to support or oppose a referendum held in this state. 11.0101(26)(b)(b) “Political party” does not include a legislative campaign committee. 11.0101(27)(27) “Recall committee” means a committee formed for the purpose of supporting or opposing the recall of any of the following: 11.0101(27)(a)(a) An incumbent elective official holding a state office. 11.0101(27)(b)(b) An incumbent elective official holding a local office. 11.0101(28)(28) “Referendum committee” means an entity that satisfies all of the following: 11.0101(28)(a)1.1. It has the major purpose of making expenditures to support or defeat a referendum, as specified in the entity’s organizational or governing documents, the entity’s bylaws, resolutions of the entity’s governing body, or registration statements filed by the entity under this chapter. 11.0101(28)(a)2.2. It uses more than 50 percent of its total spending in a 12-month period on expenditures made to support or defeat a referendum. In this subdivision, total spending does not include a committee’s fundraising or administrative expenses. 11.0101(28)(b)(b) It is organized by any person, other than an individual, or by any permanent or temporary combination of 2 or more persons unrelated by marriage. 11.0101(28)(c)(c) It does not receive contributions or make disbursements or contributions for the purpose of influencing or attempting to influence a candidate’s nomination or election. 11.0101(29)(29) “Special election” means any election, other than those described in subs. (15), (24), (30), (32), and (33) to fill vacancies or to conduct a referendum. 11.0101(30)(30) “Special primary” means the primary held 4 weeks before the special election, except as follows: 11.0101(30)(a)(a) If the special election is held on the same day as the general election, the special primary shall be held on the same day as the general primary. 11.0101(30)(b)(b) If the special election is held concurrently with the spring election, the primary shall be held concurrently with the spring primary. 11.0101(31)(31) “Sponsoring organization” means an entity that establishes, administers, or financially supports a political action committee or an independent expenditure committee. 11.0101(32)(32) “Spring election” means the election held on the first Tuesday in April to elect judicial, educational, and municipal officers, nonpartisan county officers and sewerage commissioners, and to express preferences for the person to be the presidential candidate for each political party in a year in which electors for president and vice president are to be elected. 11.0101(33)(33) “Spring primary” means the nonpartisan primary held on the 3rd Tuesday in February to nominate nonpartisan candidates to be voted for at the spring election. 11.0101(34)(34) “Treasurer” means the individual who registers a committee with the commission and who makes reports on behalf of the committee. Effective date noteNOTE: Sub. (34) is shown as amended eff. 7-1-25 by 2023 Wis. Act 126. Prior to 7-1-25 it reads: Effective date text(34) “Treasurer” means the individual who registers a committee with a filing officer and who makes reports on behalf of the committee.
11.0102(1)(1) Each committee and conduit required to register and report under this chapter shall have and shall file each registration statement and report required under this chapter with the commission, except that a candidate committee for a candidate for school board member shall file a registration statement with the commission and a copy of the registration statement with the school district clerk. No candidate may appear on a ballot for any elective office unless the candidate committee files a registration statement for each election at which the candidate runs for office. Effective date noteNOTE: Section 11.0102 (title) and (1) are shown as affected eff. 7-1-25 by 2023 Wis. Act 126. Prior to 7-1-25 they read: 11.0102 Note11.0102 Determination of filing officer and duty to file; fees. (1) Each committee and conduit required to register and report under this chapter shall have and shall file each registration statement and report required under this chapter with one filing officer as follows:
Effective date text(a) The following shall file with the commission:
Effective date text1. A candidate committee of a candidate for state office, as defined in s. 5.02 (23).
Effective date text2. A conduit.
Effective date text3. A legislative campaign committee.
Effective date text4. A political action committee.
Effective date text4m. An independent expenditure committee.
Effective date text5. A political party.
Effective date text6. A recall committee as defined in s. 11.0101 (27) (a).
Effective date text7. Except as provided in pars. (f) and (g), a referendum committee.
Effective date text(b) Subject to pars. (c) and (d), a candidate committee for a candidate seeking local office shall file with the clerk of the most populous jurisdiction for which the candidate seeks office.
Effective date text(c) A candidate committee for a candidate for municipal judge elected under s. 755.01 (4) shall file with the county clerk or board of election commissioners of the county having the largest portion of the population in the jurisdiction served by the judge.
Effective date text(d) A candidate committee for a candidate for school board member shall file with the school district clerk.
Effective date text(e) A recall committee as defined in s. 11.0101 (27) (b) shall file with the filing officer for candidates for that office.
Effective date text(f) A referendum committee acting to support or oppose any local referendum, other than a school district referendum, shall file with the clerk of the most populous jurisdiction in which the referendum will be conducted.
Effective date text(g) A referendum committee acting to support or oppose a school district referendum shall file with the school district clerk.
11.0102(2)(a)(a) Except as provided in pars. (c) and (d), each conduit or committee that is required to register and file with the commission shall annually pay a filing fee of $100 to the commission. The commission may accept payment under this subsection by credit card, debit card, or other electronic payment mechanism, and may charge a surcharge to that conduit or committee to recover the actual costs associated with the acceptance of that electronic payment. Effective date noteNOTE: Par. (a) is shown as amended eff. 7-1-25 by 2023 Wis. Act 126. Prior to 7-1-25 it reads: Effective date text(a) Except as provided in pars. (c) and (d), each conduit or committee that is required to register and file with the commission under sub. (1) (a) shall annually pay a filing fee of $100 to the commission. The commission may accept payment under this subsection by credit card, debit card, or other electronic payment mechanism, and may charge a surcharge to that conduit or committee to recover the actual costs associated with the acceptance of that electronic payment.
11.0102(2)(b)(b) A conduit or committee shall pay the fee specified in par. (a) together with the report filed by that conduit or committee on the 15th day of the month of January in each year. If a conduit or committee that is subject to par. (a) registers under this chapter or changes status so that par. (a) becomes applicable to the conduit or committee during a calendar year, the conduit or committee shall pay the fee for that year with the filing of the conduit’s or committee’s registration statement or at any time before the change in status becomes effective. Effective date noteNOTE: Par. (b) is shown as amended eff. 7-1-25 by 2023 Wis. Act 126. Prior to 7-1-25 it reads: Effective date text(b) A conduit or committee that is subject to par. (a) shall pay the fee specified in par. (a) together with the report filed by that conduit or committee on the 15th day of the month of January in each year. If a conduit or committee that is subject to par. (a) registers under this chapter or changes status so that par. (a) becomes applicable to the conduit or committee during a calendar year, the conduit or committee shall pay the fee for that year with the filing of the conduit’s or committee’s registration statement or at any time before the change in status becomes effective.
11.0102(2)(d)(d) Paragraph (a) does not apply to any committee for any year during which the committee does not make disbursements exceeding a total of $2,500. 11.0102(2)(e)(e) Paragraph (a) does not apply to a conduit for any year during which the conduit does not release contributions totaling more than $2,500. 11.0102(3)(3) A filing officer, as defined under s. 5.02 (4v) (b) to (d), shall notify the commission, in writing, of any facts within the filing officer’s knowledge or evidence in the officer’s possession that may be grounds for civil action or criminal prosecution. The commission may transmit a copy of the notification submitted under this subsection to the district attorney. Effective date noteNOTE: Sub. (3) is shown as repealed and recreated eff. 7-1-25 by 2023 Wis. Act 126. Prior to 7-1-25 it reads: Effective date text(3) Each filing officer, other than the commission, shall do all of the following:
Effective date text(a) Obtain the forms and manuals prescribed by the commission under s. 11.1304 (1) and (3) and election laws provided by the commission under s. 7.08 (4).
Effective date text(b) Develop a filing, coding, and cross-indexing system consonant with the purposes of this chapter.
Effective date text(c) Make all of the following available, without charge, to any committee required to file reports or statements with the officer:
Effective date text1. Forms prescribed by the commission for the making of reports and statements. The filing officer shall notify the committee that all forms are available on the commission’s Internet site. Whenever a filing officer sends a form or notice of the filing requirements under this chapter to the treasurer of a candidate committee, the filing officer shall also send a notice to the candidate.
Effective date text2. Upon request, copies of manuals under par. (a).
Effective date text(d) The filing officer shall provide copies of manuals and election laws to persons other than a committee under par. (c) at cost.
Effective date text(e) Notify the commission, in writing, of any facts within the filing officer’s knowledge or evidence in the officer’s possession, including errors or discrepancies in reports or statements and delinquencies in filing which may be grounds for civil action or criminal prosecution. The commission may transmit a copy of the notification submitted under this paragraph to the district attorney.
Effective date text(f) Make available a list of delinquents for public inspection.
Effective date text(g) Compile and maintain on an electronic system a current list of all reports and statements received by or required of and pertaining to each committee registered under this chapter.
Effective date text(h) Make the reports and statements filed with the officer available for public inspection and copying, commencing as soon as practicable but not later than the end of the 2nd day following the day during which they are received.
Effective date text(i) Upon the request of any person, permit copying of any report or statement described under par. (g) at cost.
Effective date text(j) Determine whether each report or statement required to be filed under this chapter has been filed in the form and by the time prescribed by law, and whether it conforms on its face to the requirements of this chapter. The officer shall immediately send to any committee that is delinquent in filing, or that has filed otherwise than in the proper form, a notice that the committee has failed to comply with this chapter. Whenever a candidate committee has appointed an individual other than the candidate as campaign treasurer, the officer shall send the notice to both the candidate and the treasurer of the candidate committee.
