Chapter 6

6.34 Annotation 2013 Wis. Act 182’s requirement for documentary proof of residence and 2011 Wis. Act 23’s elimination of proof by other persons’ corroboration impose slight burdens on voters and do not violate the U.S. Constitution. Because sub. (3) (a) 11. authorizes proof via any document issued by a unit of government, clerks may mail a letter to a voter’s address so that the letter itself suffices as proof. Also, the former Government Accountability Board issued a ruling requiring election officials to accept electronic versions of proof of residence. Wisconsin’s election system is generous in permitting same-day registration at the polling place. Proof of residence helps assign voters to their proper districts and is valid for that reason alone. Luft v. Evers, 963 F.3d 665 (2020).

6.35 6.35 Filing registration forms.

6.35(1) (1) Under the direction of the municipal clerk or board of election commissioners, the original registration forms shall be filed in one of the following ways, except as provided in subs. (1m) and (2):

6.35(1)(a) (a) In alphabetical order of the electors’ names.

6.35(1)(b) (b) In alphabetical order according to street names, in numerical order on each street and in alphabetical order of the electors’ names at each address on the street.

6.35(1m) (1m) Original registration forms of electors who have obtained a confidential listing under s. 6.47 (2) shall be filed in alphabetical order after the forms of the other electors.

6.35(2) (2) The commission shall prescribe, by rule, the procedure and methods by which municipal clerks and boards of election commissioners shall maintain records of registrations that are entered electronically under s. 6.30 (5).

6.35(3) (3) Original registration forms shall be maintained in the office of the municipal clerk or board of election commissioners at all times.

6.35 History History: 1971 c. 249; 1971 c. 304 s. 29 (2); 1971 c. 336; 1975 c. 85; 1977 c. 394; 1983 a. 484; 1985 a. 304; 1989 a. 192; 1999 a. 49; 2003 a. 265, 326; 2015 a. 261.

6.36 6.36 Official registration list.

6.36(1) (1) 

6.36(1)(a) (a) The commission shall compile and maintain electronically an official registration list. The list shall contain all of the following:

6.36(1)(a)1. 1. The name and address of each registered elector in the state.

6.36(1)(a)2. 2. The elector’s date of birth.

6.36(1)(a)3. 3. The ward and aldermanic district of the elector, if any.

6.36(1)(a)4. 4. For each elector, a unique registration identification number assigned by the commission.

6.36(1)(a)5. 5. The number of a valid operator’s license issued to the elector under ch. 343, if any, or the last 4 digits of the elector’s social security account number, if any.

6.36(1)(a)6. 6. Any identification serial number issued to the elector under s. 6.47 (3).

6.36(1)(a)7. 7. The date of any election in which the elector votes.

6.36(1)(a)8. 8. An indication of whether the elector is an overseas elector, as defined in s. 6.24 (1).

6.36(1)(a)9. 9. Any information relating to the elector that appears on the current list transmitted to the commission by the department of corrections under s. 301.03 (20m).

6.36(1)(a)10. 10. An indication of any accommodation required under s. 5.25 (4) (a) to permit voting by the elector.

6.36(1)(a)11. 11. An indication of the method by which the elector’s registration form was received.

6.36(1)(a)12. 12. An indication of whether the elector was required under s. 6.34 to provide proof of residence and, if so, the type of identifying document submitted as proof of residence, the name of the entity or institution that issued the identifying document, and, if the identifying document included a number that applies only to the individual holding that document, up to the last 4 digits of that number. If the number on the identifying document submitted by the elector had 6 or fewer digits, the list under this paragraph may not contain more than the last 2 digits of that number.

6.36(1)(a)13. 13. A separate column indicating the date on which an elector applied to vote by in-person absentee ballot.

6.36(1)(a)14. 14. Separate columns indicating the date on which the clerk mailed an absentee ballot to an elector and the date on which the elector returned the absentee ballot.

6.36(1)(a)15. 15. A separate column indicating the polling location associated with each elector’s address and ward or aldermanic district, if any.

6.36(1)(a)16. 16. A separate column indicating the mailing address for the municipal clerk associated with each polling location identified under subd. 15.

6.36(1)(ae) (ae)

6.36(1)(ae)1. 1. The chief election officer shall enter into a membership agreement with Electronic Registration Information Center, Inc., for the purpose of maintaining the official registration list under this section. Prior to entering into an agreement under this subdivision, the chief election officer shall ensure that the agreement satisfies all of the following conditions:

6.36(1)(ae)1.a. a. It safeguards the confidentiality of information or data in the registration list that may be subject to transfer under the agreement and to which access is restricted under par. (b) 1. a.

6.36(1)(ae)1.b. b. It prohibits the sale or distribution of the information or data in the registration list to a 3rd-party vendor and it prohibits any other action not associated with administration of or compliance with the agreement.

6.36(1)(ae)1.c. c. It does not affect the exemption for this state under the national voter registration act.

6.36(1)(ae)1.d. d. It allows the state to make contact with electors by electronic mail, whenever possible.

6.36(1)(ae)2. 2. If the chief election officer enters into an agreement under subd. 1., the chief election officer shall comply with the terms of the agreement, including the transmission of information and data related to the registration of electors in this state to the Electronic Registration Information Center, Inc., for processing and sharing with other member states and governmental units.

6.36(1)(am) (am) The list under par. (a) may contain such other information as may be determined by the commission to facilitate administration of elector registration requirements.

6.36(1)(b) (b)

6.36(1)(b)1. 1. The list shall be open to public inspection under s. 19.35 (1) and shall be electronically accessible by any person, except that:

6.36(1)(b)1.a. a. Except as provided in pars. (ae), (bm), and (bn), no person other than an employee of the commission, a county clerk, a deputy county clerk, an executive director of a county board of election commissioners, a deputy designated by the executive director, a municipal clerk, a deputy municipal clerk, an executive director of a city board of election commissioners, or a deputy designated by the executive director may view the date of birth, operator’s license number, or social security account number of an elector, the address of an elector to whom an identification serial number is issued under s. 6.47 (3), or any indication of an accommodation required under s. 5.25 (4) (a) to permit voting by an elector.

6.36(1)(b)1.b. b. No person other than an employee of the commission, a municipal clerk, or an election official who is authorized by a municipal clerk may make a change in the list.

6.36(1)(b)2. 2. The list shall be electronically accessible by name and shall also be accessible in alphabetical order of the electors’ names for the entire state and for each county, municipality, ward, and combination of wards authorized under s. 5.15 (6) (b).

6.36(1)(bm) (bm) The commission or any municipal clerk or board of election commissioners may transfer any information in the registration list to which access is restricted under par. (b) 1. a. to a law enforcement agency, as defined in s. 165.77 (1) (b), to be used for law enforcement purposes.

6.36(1)(bn) (bn) The commission may transfer any information in the registration list to which access is restricted under par. (b) 1. a. to a subunit of the state government of another state to be used for official purposes.

6.36(1)(c) (c) The list shall be designed in such a way that the municipal clerk or board of election commissioners of any municipality and any election official who is authorized by the clerk or executive director of the board of election commissioners may, by electronic transmission, add entries to or change entries on the list for any elector who resides in, or who the list identifies as residing in, that municipality and no other municipality.

6.36(1)(d) (d) Upon receipt of official notification by the appropriate election administrative authority of another state, territory, or possession that an elector whose name appears on the list has registered to vote in that state, territory, or possession, the commission or the municipal clerk of the municipality where the elector formerly resided shall change the elector’s registration from eligible to ineligible status.

6.36(1)(e) (e) If the commission adds the name of any elector to the list, the commission shall promptly notify the municipal clerk of the municipality where the elector resides. If the commission changes the registration of any elector from eligible to ineligible status, the commission shall promptly notify the municipal clerk of the municipality where the elector resides or, if the elector has changed his or her residence from one municipality to another municipality in this state, shall promptly notify the municipal clerk of the municipality where the elector resided prior to the change. Notification shall be made in writing or by electronic transmission. If the commission changes the registration of any elector from eligible to ineligible status, the commission shall make an entry on the list giving the date of and the reason for the change.

6.36(1)(f) (f) The commission shall make all reasonable efforts to ensure that the list is maintained in a manner that precludes unauthorized persons from making alterations to the list.

6.36(2) (2) 

6.36(2)(a) (a) Except as provided in par. (b), each registration list prepared for use as a poll list at a polling place or for purposes of canvassing absentee ballots at an election shall contain the full name and address of each registered elector; a blank column for the entry of the serial number of the electors when they vote or the poll list number used by the municipal board of absentee ballot canvassers in canvassing absentee ballots; an indication next to the name of each elector for whom proof of residence under s. 6.34 is required; a space for entry of the type of and the name of the entity or institution that issued the identifying document submitted by the elector as proof of residence when proof of residence under s. 6.34 is required; a space for entry of the elector’s signature, or if another person signed the elector’s registration form for the elector by reason of the elector’s physical disability, the word “exempt”; and a form of certificate bearing the certification of the commission administrator stating that the list is a true and complete registration list of the municipality or the ward or wards for which the list is prepared. The commission shall, by rule, prescribe the space and location for entry of each elector’s signature on the poll list which shall provide for entry of the signature without changing the orientation of the poll list from the orientation used by the election officials.

6.36(2)(b) (b) If an elector obtains a confidential listing under s. 6.47 (2), the registration list shall be prepared such that the address of the elector does not appear on copies of the list that are used at polling places.

6.36(2)(c) (c) The list shall contain, next to the name of each elector, an indication of whether proof of residence under s. 6.34 is required for the elector to be permitted to vote. If proof of residence is provided, the type of identifying document submitted by the elector and the name of the entity or institution that issued the identifying document, or an indication that the information provided by the elector in lieu of proof of residence was verified under s. 6.34 (2m), shall be entered on the list in the space provided. Except as provided in s. 6.34 (2m), proof of residence is required if the elector is not a military elector or an overseas elector and the elector registers by mail or by electronic application and has not previously voted in an election in this state.

6.36(3) (3) The original registration forms shall be controlling whenever discrepancies occur in entering information from the forms under s. 6.33 (5).

6.36(4) (4) The names and identification serial numbers of electors who have obtained a confidential listing under s. 6.47 (2) shall appear separately after the remainder of the list. These names and serial numbers shall be arranged alphabetically by last name.

6.36(6) (6) The commission shall establish by rule the fee for obtaining a copy of the official registration list, or a portion of the list, including access to the subscription service established under s. 5.05 (14) (b). The amount of the fee shall be set, after consultation with county and municipal election officials, at an amount estimated to cover both the cost of reproduction and the cost of maintaining the list at the state and local level. The rules shall require that revenues from fees received be shared between the state and municipalities or their designees under s. 6.33 (5) (b), and shall specify a method for such allocation.

6.36 History History: 1971 c. 304 s. 29 (2); 1975 c. 85; 1977 c. 394 ss. 21, 22, 53; 1999 a. 49; 2003 a. 265, 327; 2005 a. 451; 2007 a. 1, 52, 96; 2011 a. 23, 75; 2013 a. 182; 2015 a. 118 ss. 73 to 75, 266 (10); 2015 a. 261; 2017 a. 366.

6.36 Cross-reference Cross-reference: See also s. EL 3.50, Wis. adm. code.

6.45 6.45 Access to registration list.

6.45(1) (1) After the deadline for revision of the registration list, the municipal clerk shall make copies of the list for election use.

6.45(1m) (1m) The registration list and any supplemental lists which are prepared at polling places or other registration locations under s. 6.55, shall be open to public inspection. Under the regulations prescribed by the municipal clerk, any person may copy the registration list at the office of the clerk. A registration list maintained at a polling place may be examined by any person who is observing the proceedings under s. 7.41 when such use does not interfere with the conduct of the election. This subsection does not apply to information that is confidential under s. 6.47.

6.45(2) (2) The municipal clerk shall furnish upon request to each candidate who has filed nomination papers for an office which represents at least part of the residents of the municipality one copy of the current registration list for those areas for which he or she is a candidate for a fee not to exceed the cost of reproduction. The clerk shall exclude information that is confidential under s. 6.47 (2) from copies of the list, except as authorized under s. 6.47 (8).

6.45 History History: 1975 c. 85, 199; 1977 c. 394 s. 53; 1983 a. 484; 1989 a. 192; 1999 a. 49, 182; 2001 a. 38; 2013 a. 166.

6.45 Cross-reference Cross-reference: See also s. EL 3.50, Wis. adm. code.

6.46 6.46 Poll lists; copying.

6.46(1) (1) Poll lists shall be preserved by the municipal clerk until destruction or other disposition is authorized under s. 7.23.

6.46(2) (2) Poll lists shall be open to public inspection, except as provided in s. 6.47. The municipal clerk shall furnish upon request to each candidate who has filed nomination papers for an office which represents at least part of the municipality one copy of the current poll list for those areas for which he or she is a candidate for a fee not to exceed the cost of reproduction. If a copying machine is not accessible, the clerk shall remove the lists from the office for the purposes of copying, and return them immediately thereafter. The clerk shall exclude information that is confidential under s. 6.47 (2) from copies of the list, except as authorized under s. 6.47 (8).

6.46 History History: 1975 c. 85, 199; 1999 a. 49.

6.46 Cross-reference Cross-reference: See also s. EL 3.50, Wis. adm. code.

6.47 6.47 Confidentiality of information relating to victims of domestic abuse, sexual assault, or stalking.

6.47(1) (1) In this section:

6.47(1)(ag) (ag) “Domestic abuse victim service provider” means an organization that is certified by the department of children and families as eligible to receive grants under s. 49.165 (2) and whose name is included on the list provided by the commission under s. 7.08 (10).

6.47(1)(am) (am) “Eligible individual” means:

6.47(1)(am)1. 1. An individual who has been granted a protective order that is in effect.

6.47(1)(am)2. 2. An individual who files an affidavit with the municipal clerk of the municipality where the individual resides, on a form prescribed by the commission, that is signed by a sheriff, the chief of a police department, or a district attorney or the authorized representative of a sheriff, chief, or district attorney and directed to the municipal clerk, and that verifies that a person has been charged with or convicted of an offense relating to domestic abuse, sexual assault, or stalking in which the individual was a victim and reasonably continues to be threatened by that person.

6.47(1)(am)3. 3. An individual who resides in a shelter.

6.47(1)(am)4. 4. An individual who submits a dated statement to the municipal clerk that includes the individual’s full name, that is signed by an authorized representative of a domestic abuse victim service provider or a sexual assault victim service provider, and that indicates that the individual received services from the provider within the 24-month period ending on the date of the statement.

6.47(1)(am)5. 5. An individual who is a participant in the program established in s. 165.68.

6.47(1)(b) (b) “Offense relating to domestic abuse, sexual assault, or stalking” means an offense specified in s. 940.19, 940.20 (1m), 940.201, 940.22, 940.225, 940.235, 940.32, 947.013, 948.02, 948.025, 948.06, 948.085, 948.09, or 948.095.

6.47(1)(c) (c) “Protected individual” means an individual whose name and address is confidential under sub. (2).

6.47(1)(d) (d) “Protective order” means a temporary restraining order or an injunction issued under s. 813.12 or 813.125.

6.47(1)(dm) (dm) “Sexual assault victim service provider” means an organization that is certified by the department of justice as eligible to receive grants under s. 165.93 (2) and whose name is included on the list provided by the commission under s. 7.08 (10).

6.47(1)(e) (e) “Shelter” means a place where at least 4 unrelated individuals reside that provides residential shelter to individuals whose personal security is or may be threatened by family members or other persons with whom the individuals have had contact.

6.47(2) (2) Except as authorized in sub. (8), the commission, each municipal clerk, each agent designated under s. 6.33 (5) (b), and each election official shall withhold from public inspection under s. 19.35 (1) the name and address of any eligible individual whose name appears on a poll list or registration list if the individual provides the municipal clerk with a valid written request to protect the individual’s confidentiality. To be valid, a request under this subsection must be accompanied by a copy of a protective order that is in effect, an affidavit under sub. (1) (am) 2. that is dated within 30 days of the date of the request, confirmation from the department of justice that the person is a program participant, as provided under s. 165.68 (4) (c), a statement signed by the operator or an authorized agent of the operator of a shelter that is dated within 30 days of the date of the request and that indicates that the operator operates the shelter and that the individual making the request resides in the shelter, or a statement signed by an authorized representative of a domestic abuse victim service provider or a sexual assault victim service provider under sub. (1) (am) 4. that is dated within 30 days of the date of the request. A physically disabled individual who appears personally at the office of the municipal clerk accompanied by another elector of this state may designate that elector to make a request under this subsection on his or her behalf.

6.47(3) (3) Upon receiving a valid written request from an elector under sub. (2), the municipal clerk shall issue to the elector a voting identification card on a form prescribed by the commission that shall contain the name of the elector’s municipality of residence and, in the case of a town, the county in which the town is located, the elector’s name, the ward in which the elector resides, if any, and a unique identification serial number issued by the commission. The number issued to an elector under this subsection shall not be changed for so long as the elector continues to qualify for a listing under sub. (2).

6.47(4) (4) 

6.47(4)(a) (a) Except as provided in par. (b) and sub. (5), a confidential listing under sub. (2) expires on the date that a protective order expires, the date that the protected individual ceases to reside in a shelter, the date that updated information is received from a sheriff, the chief of a police department, or a district attorney or the authorized representative of a sheriff, chief, or district attorney, or at the end of the 24-month period that follows creation or renewal of the listing under sub. (2), whichever is earlier.

6.47(4)(b) (b) A confidential listing under sub. (2) that is issued to a program participant expires on the date the individual’s participation in the program expires pursuant to s. 165.68 (3) (b) 4. a. or on the date the individual cancels his or her participation in the program pursuant to s. 165.68 (3) (b) 4. f. or is disenrolled from the program pursuant to s. 165.68 (3) (b) 4. e.

6.47(5) (5) 

6.47(5)(a) (a) The municipal clerk shall cancel a confidential listing under sub. (2) if:

6.47(5)(a)1. 1. The clerk receives notification from a sheriff, chief of police, or district attorney or the authorized representative of a sheriff, chief, or district attorney under sub. (10).