Chapter 5

5.60(1)(c) (c) When 2 or more judges of the same court are to be elected, the official ballot shall contain the names of all candidates, shall state the number of judges to be elected and the number of candidates for whom each elector may vote. Each candidacy shall show the branch being filled.

5.60(2) (2) Municipal judge. If the election is under s. 755.01 (4), there shall be a separate ballot listing the names of all of the candidates, except as authorized in s. 5.655.

5.60(3) (3) City.

5.60(3)(ag) (ag) Except as authorized in s. 5.655, there shall be a separate ballot giving the names of all candidates for city offices, printed in the same form as prescribed by the commission under s. 7.08 (1) (a). City election ballots may vary in form to conform to the law under which an election is held.

5.60(3)(am) (am) No party designation shall appear on the official ballot for city offices.

5.60(3)(b) (b) The city clerk or executive director of the city election commission shall arrange the official city ballot under s. 5.62 (4).

5.60(4) (4) School district.

5.60(4)(a) (a) There shall be a separate ballot for school district officers when so required, except as authorized in s. 5.655.

5.60(4)(b) (b) In 1st class cities, the names of the candidates for the seat of the member elected at-large to the board of school directors shall be placed on the official city ballot and there shall be a separate ballot giving the names of the candidates for any seat to be filled on the board of school directors from any election district, except as authorized in s. 5.655. The names of candidates for the at-large seat shall be placed in the same column or row on the ballot.

5.60(4)(c) (c) The arrangement of candidates for school board seats shall be determined by the school district clerk or the executive director of the city board of election commissioners by the drawing of lots not later than the 2nd Tuesday in January, or the next day if the first Tuesday is a holiday, if there is no primary, or not later than the 3rd day following the completion of the primary canvass if a primary is held. The method of determining arrangement shall be the same as provided in sub. (1) (b). Sufficient space shall be provided on the ballot for write-in candidates.

5.60(4m) (4m) Metropolitan sewerage commission. A separate ballot shall list the names of all candidates for metropolitan sewerage commission seats, if commissioners are elected under s. 200.09 (11) (am), except as authorized in s. 5.655. The names for the different seats shall be placed in separate columns or rows if more than one seat is contested at any election.

5.60(5) (5) Village.

5.60(5)(ag) (ag) There shall be a separate ballot giving the names of all candidates for village offices, except as authorized in s. 5.655.

5.60(5)(ar) (ar) The offices to be filled shall be arranged on the official ballot in the order they are named in the statutes creating them. The names of the candidates shall be arranged by using the same method as that used by the commission under sub. (1) (b). Sufficient space shall be left under each office for write-in candidates.

5.60(5)(b) (b) Only persons nominated under s. 8.05 shall be placed on the official ballots. If no nominations are made, the spaces for this office shall be left blank.

5.60(6) (6) Town.

5.60(6)(a) (a) Except as authorized in s. 5.655, there shall be a separate ballot giving the names of all candidates for elective town offices in the form prescribed by the commission under s. 7.08 (1) (a). There shall be 2 ballot forms. One ballot form shall be used for the election of supervisors to numbered seats and one ballot form shall be used for the election of supervisors to unnumbered seats. On the ballot used for the election of supervisors to unnumbered seats, all supervisor candidates shall be listed together and the voting instructions shall state “Vote for not more than.... [insert number of supervisors to be elected] candidates”. All towns shall elect their supervisors to unnumbered seats unless the annual town meeting adopts a plan to elect supervisors to numbered seats. The names of candidates for town office shall be arranged by using the same method as that used by the commission under sub. (1) (b). A space shall be provided under each office on the ballot for a write-in candidate.

5.60(6)(b) (b) Only the names of individuals nominated under s. 8.05 may be placed on the official ballot. If no nominations for an office are made, the space for that office shall be left blank.

5.60(6m) (6m) Town sanitary district commission. Except as authorized in s. 5.655, a separate ballot shall list the names of all candidates for town sanitary district commission seats, if commissioners are elected under s. 60.74 and the boundaries of the district are not coterminous with the boundaries of one or more towns. The names for different seats shall be placed in separate columns or rows if more than one seat is contested at any election.

5.60(7) (7) Referendum ballots. Except as authorized in s. 5.655, there shall be a separate ballot setting forth all propositions requiring a vote in the form and manner provided by s. 5.64.

5.60(8) (8) Ballots for presidential vote.

5.60(8)(am) (am) Except as authorized in s. 5.655, there shall be a separate ballot for each recognized political party filing a certification under s. 8.12 (1), listing the names of all potential candidates of that party determined under s. 8.12 and affording, in addition, an opportunity to the voter to nominate another potential candidate by write-in vote or to vote for an uninstructed delegation to the party convention. The order of presidential candidates on the ballot shall be determined by lot by or under the supervision of the commission. Each voter shall be given the ballots of all the parties participating in the presidential preference vote, but may vote on one ballot only.

5.60(8)(bm) (bm) Except as authorized in s. 5.655, a separate ballot shall be provided for use in each voting district.

5.60(8)(c) (c) The official ballots for the presidential preference vote shall be securely fastened together at the bottom. The party receiving the greatest number of votes for governor at the preceding election shall have its ticket placed on top and the remaining party ballots shall follow in the same manner. A facsimile ballot notice shall be published as provided in s. 10.02.

5.60 History History: 1971 c. 304 ss. 9 to 11, 29 (2); 1971 c. 336; 1973 c. 134; 1973 c. 334 s. 57; 1975 c. 93; 1977 c. 187, 427, 445, 449; 1979 c. 221, 260, 355; 1981 c. 377; 1983 a. 484; 1983 a. 532 s. 36; 1985 a. 29 s. 3202 (56); 1985 a. 89, 225; 1985 a. 304 ss. 28, 155; 1987 a. 391; 1989 a. 192, 290; 1993 a. 266; 1995 a. 16 s. 2; 1995 a. 201; 1999 a. 150 s. 672; 1999 a. 182; 2003 a. 24; 2005 a. 149; 2011 a. 45, 62; 2015 a. 118 ss. 65, 266 (10).

5.60 Annotation The national democratic party has a protected right of political association and may not be compelled to seat delegates chosen in an open primary in violation of the party’s rules. Democratic Party of United States v. Wisconsin ex rel. La Follette, 450 U.S. 107, 101 S. Ct. 1010, 67 L. Ed. 2d 82 (1981).

5.62 5.62 Partisan primary ballots.

5.62(1) (1) 

5.62(1)(a) (a) At the partisan primary, the following ballot shall be provided for the nomination of candidates of recognized political parties for national, state and county offices and independent candidates for state office in each ward, in the same form as prescribed by the commission under s. 7.08 (1) (a), except as authorized in s. 5.655. The ballots shall be made up of the several party tickets with each party entitled to participate in the primary under par. (b) or sub. (2) having its own ballot, except as authorized in s. 5.655. The ballots shall be secured together at the bottom. The party ballot of the party receiving the most votes for president or governor at the last general election shall be on top with the other parties arranged in descending order based on their vote for president or governor at the last general election. The ballots of parties qualifying under sub. (2) shall be placed after the parties qualifying under par. (b), in the same order in which the parties filed petitions with the commission. Any ballot required under par. (b) 2. shall be placed next in order. At polling places where voting machines are used, each party shall be represented in one or more separate columns or rows on the ballot. At polling places where an electronic voting system is used other than an electronic voting machine, each party may be represented in separate columns or rows on the ballot.

5.62(1)(b) (b)

5.62(1)(b)1. 1. Except as provided in subd. 2. and s. 5.64 (1) (e) 2., every recognized political party listed on the official ballot at the last gubernatorial election whose candidate for any statewide office received at least 1 percent of the total votes cast for that office and, if the last general election was also a presidential election, every recognized political party listed on the ballot at that election whose candidate for president received at least 1 percent of the total vote cast for that office shall have a separate primary ballot or one or more separate columns or rows on the primary ballot as prescribed in par. (a) and a separate column on the general election ballot in every ward and election district. An organization which was listed as “independent” at the last general election and whose candidate meets the same qualification shall receive the same ballot status upon petition of the chairperson and secretary of the organization to the commission requesting such status and specifying their party name, which may not duplicate the name of an existing party. A petition under this subdivision may be filed no later than 5 p.m. on April 1 in the year of each general election.

5.62(1)(b)2. 2. Subdivision 1. applies to a party within any assembly district or county at any partisan primary election only if at least one candidate of the party for any national, state or county office qualifies to have his or her name appear on the ballot under the name of that party within that assembly district or county. The county clerk or county board of election commissioners shall provide a combined separate ballot or one or more separate columns or rows on the ballot that will permit an elector to cast a vote for a write-in candidate for the nomination of any such party for each national, state and county office whenever that party qualifies to be represented on a separate primary ballot or in one or more separate columns or rows under subd. 1. but does not qualify under this subdivision. The ballot shall include the name of each party qualifying for a separate ballot or one or more separate columns or rows on the ballot under each office, with the names of the candidates for each such party appearing in the same order in which the ballots of the parties would appear under par. (a).

5.62(2) (2) 

5.62(2)(a) (a) Except as provided in par. (b) and s. 5.64 (1) (e) 2., any political organization may be represented on a separate primary ballot or in one or more separate columns or rows on the primary ballot as prescribed in sub. (1) (a) and in a separate column on the general election ballot in every ward and election district. To qualify for a separate ballot under this paragraph, the political organization shall, not later than 5 p.m. on April 1 in the year of the partisan primary, file with the commission a petition requesting separate ballot status. The petition shall be signed by at least 10,000 electors, including at least 1,000 electors residing in each of at least 3 separate congressional districts. The petition shall conform to the requirements of s. 8.40. No signature obtained before January 1 in the year of filing is valid. When the candidates of a political organization filing a valid petition fulfill the requirements prescribed by law, they shall appear on a separate ballot or one or more separate columns or rows on the ballot for the period ending with the following general election.

5.62(2)(b) (b) Paragraph (a) applies to a party within any assembly district or county at any partisan primary election only if at least one candidate of the party for any national, state or county office qualifies to have his or her name appear on the ballot under the name of that party within that assembly district or county. The county clerk or county board of election commissioners shall provide a combined separate ballot or one or more separate columns or rows on the ballot that will permit an elector to cast a vote for a write-in candidate for the nomination of any such party for each national, state and county office whenever that party qualifies to be represented on a separate primary ballot or in one or more separate columns or rows under par. (a) but does not qualify under this paragraph. The ballot shall include the name of each party qualifying for a separate ballot or one or more separate columns or rows on the ballot under each office, with the names of the candidates for each such party appearing in the same order in which the ballots of the parties would appear under sub. (1) (a).

5.62(3) (3) The commission shall designate the official primary ballot arrangement for statewide offices and district attorney within each prosecutorial district by using the same procedure as provided in s. 5.60 (1) (b). On each ballot and on each separate column or row on the ballot, the candidates for office shall be listed together with the offices which they seek in the following order whenever these offices appear on the partisan primary ballot: governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, secretary of state, state treasurer, U.S. senator, U.S. representative in congress, state senator, representative to the assembly, district attorney and the county offices.

5.62(4) (4) 

5.62(4)(ag) (ag) The county clerk or county board of election commissioners shall designate the official primary ballot arrangement for all candidates filing nomination papers in that office.

5.62(4)(ar) (ar) Within a county the county clerk shall arrange the names of all candidates filing nomination papers with the clerk’s office using the same method as that used by the commission under s. 5.60 (1) (b).

5.62(4)(b) (b) The county board of election commissioners in counties having a population of more than 750,000 shall prepare the official primary ballot. The commissioners shall arrange the names of all candidates for each office whose nomination papers are filed at the county level, using the same method as that used by the elections commission under s. 5.60 (1) (b).

5.62 History History: 1971 c. 304 ss. 12, 29 (2); 1971 c. 336; 1973 c. 334 s. 57; 1975 c. 93; 1977 c. 107, 427; 1979 c. 260, 311, 328; 1981 c. 377; 1983 a. 484; 1985 a. 304; 1987 a. 391; 1989 a. 31, 192; 1991 a. 316; 1993 a. 184; 1999 a. 182; 2005 a. 149; 2007 a. 1; 2011 a. 32, 75; 2013 a. 166 s. 77; 2013 a. 373; 2015 a. 118 ss. 66, 266 (10).

5.62 Annotation The filing of a proper petition by the requisite number of electors in a senate, assembly, or congressional district will qualify the political organization referred to in the petition as a party entitled to a separate ballot within the specific district only for all the state, congressional, legislative, and county offices for which an elector of that district may vote. The petition may be circulated commencing after any November general election and ending on the June 1 immediately prior to the next succeeding September primary. 61 Atty. Gen. 41.

5.64 5.64 General election ballots. At general elections all of the following ballots, when necessary, shall be provided for each ward:

5.64(1) (1) Official ballot.

5.64(1)(ag) (ag) Except as authorized in s. 5.655, there shall be a separate ballot giving the names of all candidates for president and vice president and for statewide, congressional, legislative, and county offices in the same form as prescribed by the commission under s. 7.08 (1) (a).

5.64(1)(ar) (ar)

5.64(1)(ar)1. 1. The ballot shall permit an elector to do any of the following:

5.64(1)(ar)1.b. b. Vote for individual candidates for each office.

5.64(1)(ar)1.c. c. Vote for a person whose name does not appear on the ballot for any office.

5.64(1)(ar)1m. 1m. When voting for president and vice president, the ballot shall permit an elector to vote only for the candidates on one ticket jointly or to write in the names of persons in both spaces.

5.64(1)(ar)2. 2. When voting for governor and lieutenant governor, the ballot shall permit an elector to vote only for the candidates on one ticket jointly or write in the names of persons in both spaces.

5.64(1)(b) (b) The names of the candidates for the offices of president and vice president that are certified under s. 8.16 (7) or that are contained in nomination papers filed under s. 8.20 shall appear on the ballot in the form prescribed in s. 7.08 (2) (a). The names of the candidates on the regular party tickets nominated at the primary or replacements appointed under s. 8.35 (2) shall appear in a separate column under the party designation. The columns shall be arranged from left to right according to rank, based on the number of votes received by each party’s candidate for president or governor at the last general election beginning with the party that received the most votes. To the right of the columns for parties qualifying under s. 5.62 (1) (b) shall be placed the columns for parties qualifying under s. 5.62 (2) in the same order in which the parties filed petitions with the commission. Any column required under par. (e) 2. shall be placed next in order. To the right of the party columns shall be a column for the names of independent candidates for each office, or more than one column if the first column does not provide sufficient space for the names of all such candidates.

5.64(1)(d) (d) The offices shall be arranged beginning with president and vice president or governor and lieutenant governor, whenever these offices are filled, and then the remaining offices in the order designated under s. 5.62 (3).

5.64(1)(e) (e)

5.64(1)(e)1. 1. Except as provided in subd. 2., each candidate’s name shall be placed in the column of the party by which nominated or if independent, in a column designated independent and all candidates for the same office shall appear within the same rows on the ballot. If a separate column is provided to write in the names of any party candidates under subd. 2., the column shall appear before the column designated independent with the spaces provided to write in the names of the candidates for each such party appearing in the same order in which the columns of their parties would appear under par. (b). Along with the names of the independent candidates shall appear the party or principle of the candidates, if any, in 5 words or less, as shown on their nomination papers. Independent candidates for the same county office shall be listed in the same manner in an order drawn by lot by or under supervision of the county clerk or board of election commissioners.

5.64(1)(e)2. 2. There shall be a separate column for the candidates of each party qualifying for that column under s. 5.62 (1) (b) or (2), except that if, within any assembly district or county, there are no candidates for any national, state or county office representing such a party who qualify to have their names appear on the ballot under the name of that party within that assembly district, the county clerk or board of election commissioners shall provide a combined separate column that will permit an elector to cast a vote for a write-in candidate of any such party for each national, state and county office whenever that party qualifies to be represented in a separate column but does not qualify under this subdivision. The ballot shall include the name of each party qualifying for a separate column under each office, with the names of the candidates for each such party appearing in the same order in which the columns of the parties would appear under par. (b).

5.64(1)(eg) (eg) In the case of balloting for the offices of president and vice president, the names of the candidates shall be placed in the column of the party that nominated them or if independent, in a column designated independent. In each column there shall be one choice for the elector to cast a ballot jointly for both offices.

5.64(1)(em) (em) The names of the candidates for the offices of president and vice president certified under s. 8.16 (7) or filed under s. 8.20 shall appear on the ballot in the form prescribed in s. 7.08 (2) (a). The names of the presidential electors for the candidates supplied under ss. 8.18 (2) and 8.20 (2) (d) are not listed on the ballot but a vote for the candidates for president and vice president is a vote for them through their named presidential electors.

5.64(1)(es) (es) The party candidates shall be arranged consecutively from top to bottom based on the number of votes received by their party’s candidate for governor at the last election beginning with the party that received the most votes. The independent president-vice president candidates shall be listed together in an order drawn by lot by or under supervision of the commission, following under the party candidates. Along with the names of the independent candidates shall appear the party or principle of the candidates, if any, in 5 words or less, as shown on their nomination papers. Following under the independent candidates, a space shall be left for writing in the names of a candidate for president and vice president.

5.64(1)(f) (f) In the case of balloting for the office of governor and lieutenant governor, the names of the candidates shall be placed in the party column by which nominated or if independent, in a column designated independent. In each column there shall be one choice for the elector to cast a ballot jointly for both offices.

5.64(1)(g) (g) Following under the independent candidates for each office, a space shall be provided for the elector to write in the name of a candidate of his or her choice for that office.

5.64(2) (2) Referendum ballot.

5.64(2)(am) (am) There shall be a separate ballot when any proposed constitutional amendment or any other measure or question is submitted to a vote of the people, except as authorized in s. 5.655. The ballot shall give a concise statement of each question in accordance with the act or resolution directing submission in the same form as prescribed by the commission under s. 7.08 (1) (a). The question may not be worded in such a manner as to require a negative vote to approve a proposition or an affirmative vote to disapprove a proposition. Unless otherwise expressly provided, this ballot form shall be used at all elections when questions are submitted to a vote of the people.

5.64(2)(c) (c) The official referendum ballot prescribed under this subsection shall be utilized at every election, except that the format shall be altered to the extent provided or required by other laws establishing or authorizing referenda to be conducted. Except as authorized in s. 5.655, all referenda shall appear on a separate ballot, but more than one referendum question may appear on the same referendum ballot whenever the questions are numbered and all electors voting the ballot are entitled to vote upon all questions appearing thereon. When more than one state referendum is placed on the same ballot, the commission shall number the questions in chronological sequence. If the legislature submits questions on different dates, the commission shall number the questions sequentially based on the date on which the questions are submitted by the legislature. Except as authorized in s. 5.655, state and county referenda shall appear on a separate ballot from municipal or special district referenda. The form of all referendum ballots shall be substantially the same as that prescribed by the commission under s. 7.08 (1) (a).

5.64 History History: 1971 c. 304 s. 29 (2); 1977 c. 26, 427; 1979 c. 260; 1981 c. 79, 175, 377, 391; 1983 a. 484; 1985 a. 304; 1987 a. 391; 1989 a. 31, 192; 1991 a. 316; 1999 a. 182; 2005 a. 149; 2011 a. 23, 115; 2015 a. 118 s. 266 (10).

5.65 5.65 Special referendum ballots. Unless otherwise provided, ballots for special referenda shall conform to the format prescribed under s. 5.64 (2), insofar as applicable.

5.65 History History: 1983 a. 484; 1999 a. 182.

5.655 5.655 Consolidated ballots.

5.655(1) (1) Whenever a separate ballot is required to be used, a municipality may use a single ballot to facilitate the use of voting machines or an electronic voting system or, if the municipality employs paper ballots, may use a consolidated paper ballot that is authorized under sub. (2). If a municipality uses a single ballot in lieu of separate ballots, the ballot shall include a separate column or row for any office, referendum or party for which a separate ballot is required by law and the ballot shall be distributed only to electors who are eligible to vote for all of the offices and referenda appearing on the ballot.

5.655(2) (2) Whenever a municipality employing paper ballots is required to utilize separate ballots for certain offices, referenda or parties at an election, the municipality may, with the approval of the county clerk or board of election commissioners of each county in which there is located any portion of the municipality where one or more electors reside, substitute a single consolidated paper ballot or a ballot that is designed to be utilized with an electronic voting system, if the ballot contains all of the applicable information required to be provided for paper ballots at that election.

5.655(3) (3) The commission shall prescribe notices and instructions to be given to electors who use a ballot that is authorized under sub. (2) in lieu of any notices and instructions that are applicable only to municipalities employing separate paper ballots.

5.655 History History: 1999 a. 182; 2015 a. 118 s. 266 (10).

5.66 5.66 Number of ballots.

5.66(1) (1) For local elections, where necessary, municipal clerks shall have sufficient ballots printed or otherwise prepared whenever a voting system does not utilize printed ballots to assure a ballot for all electors or voting machines. For all other elections the municipal clerks shall certify to their county clerk, on the first day of the 2nd month preceding the month in which the primary is held, the approximate number of electors in the municipality. The county clerk shall total these estimates and order a sufficient supply to assure ballots for all electors and voting machines.

5.66(2) (2) The county clerk or board of election commissioners shall print a sufficient number of sample ballots. The municipal clerk or board of election commissioners shall print sample ballots whenever the municipality prepares ballots under s. 7.15 (2) (b) or (c). Sample ballots shall be printed on nonwhite colored paper and shall be overprinted “SAMPLE”. Voting machine sample ballots shall be a reduced size diagram of the face of the board or screen inside the voting machine with all candidates, issues and voting instructions as they will appear on the official ballot. Sample ballots to be used with an electronic voting system in which ballots that are distributed to electors are used shall be an actual size copy of the ballot. The clerk or board of election commissioners printing the ballots shall distribute the samples approximately as follows: 45 percent shall be kept in the clerk’s or board’s office and distributed to electors requesting them; 45 percent shall be sent to the municipalities, or, if the municipality prints ballots, 45 percent shall be sent to the county for distribution to the electors; and 10 percent shall be reserved to be sent to the polling places by municipalities in proportion to the number certified in sub. (1) and made available to electors at the polls on election day.

5.66 History History: 1979 c. 260, 311, 355; 1983 a. 484; 1987 a. 391; 2001 a. 16.

5.68 5.68 Cost of elections.

5.68(1) (1) The cost of acquisition of ballot boxes and voting booths, voting machines or electronic voting systems and regular maintenance thereof shall be borne by the municipalities in which the boxes, booths, machines or systems are used.

5.68(2) (2) Except as otherwise expressly provided, all costs for ballots, supplies, notices and any other materials necessary in preparing or conducting any election shall be paid for by the county or municipality whose clerk or board of election commissioners is responsible for providing them. If a ballot is prepared for a school, technical college, sewerage or sanitary district, the district shall pay for the cost of the ballot. If no other level of government is involved in a school, technical college, sewerage or sanitary district election, the district shall pay for all costs of the ballots, supplies, notices and other materials. If ballots, supplies, notices or other materials are used for elections within more than one unit of local government, the costs shall be proportionately divided between the units of local government involved in the election. In a 1st class city, all costs otherwise attributable to a school district shall be paid by the city.

5.68(3) (3) If voting machines are used or if an electronic voting system is used in which all candidates and referenda appear on the same ballot, the ballots for all national, state and county offices and for county and state referenda shall be prepared and paid for by the county wherein they are used. If the voting machine or electronic voting system ballot includes a municipal or school, technical college, sewerage or sanitary district ballot, the cost of that portion of the ballot shall be reimbursed to the county or paid for by the municipality or district, except as provided in a 1st class city school district under sub. (2).

5.68(4) (4) The cost of compensation of election officials and trainees shall be borne in the manner provided in s. 7.03.

5.68(5) (5) If a charge is made for the use of a polling place, the charge shall be paid by the municipality establishing the polling place under s. 5.25 (2) unless the polling place is used to conduct a special election that is called by a unit of government other than the state or the municipality establishing the polling place and the special election is not held concurrently with an election specified in s. 5.02 (5), (12s), (21), or (22). In such case the charge shall be paid by the unit of government that calls the special election.

5.68(6) (6) The clerk of each county or municipality shall submit an invoice to the clerk of each municipality or district which is responsible for payment of election costs under this section. The municipality or district shall make payment to the county or municipal treasurer.

5.68 History History: 1979 c. 260, 311, 355; 1985 a. 304; 1993 a. 399; 1999 a. 182; 2001 a. 16; 2005 a. 333, 451; 2011 a. 32; 2013 a. 165; 2015 a. 118.

5.72 5.72 Correcting ballot errors.

5.72(1) (1) As soon as possible after ballots are delivered to the county clerk or to the municipal clerk if the municipality is preparing ballots under s. 7.15 (2), but not later than 3 weeks before any election relating to a state or national office or statewide referendum, the county or municipal clerk preparing the ballots shall submit one copy of each ballot to the commission for review of possible errors. If the contractor preparing the ballots supplies proofs in advance of ballot preparation, the clerk shall submit one copy of the proofs in lieu of actual ballots. If a voting machine ballot or other ballot combining local candidates or referenda with state or national candidates or referenda is used, the entire ballot shall be submitted, but if ballots intended for distribution to electors are used, only those ballots relating to state or national offices and statewide referenda need be submitted. This subsection does not require delay of ballot distribution or mailing of absentee ballots.

5.72(2) (2) The commission shall review ballots and proof copies submitted under sub. (1) and shall notify the county and municipal clerk of any error as soon as possible but in no event later than 7 days after submission. The clerk is not required to correct a ballot error upon receipt of notice of the error, unless ordered to do so under sub. (3) or s. 5.06 (6).

5.72(3) (3) Whenever an affidavit is filed by the commission or any elector alleging an error or omission in the preparation of a ballot, the circuit court for the county where the ballot is proposed to be used or its presiding judge, by order, may summarily require a county or municipal clerk to correct the error, or show cause why it should not be corrected and, by order, after the hearing, have the correction made.

5.72 History History: 1979 c. 260; 1979 c. 311 s. 19; 1979 c. 355 ss. 9, 10; Stats. 1979 s. 5.72; 1981 c. 377; 1983 a. 484; 2015 a. 118 s. 266 (10).