ETF 10.10(1m)(c)(c) “Participating employee” has the meaning given in s. 40.02 (46), Stats.
ETF 10.10(1m)(d)(d) “Teacher” has the meaning given in s. 40.02 (55), Stats.
ETF 10.10(2)(2)Scheduling of elections.
ETF 10.10(2)(ag)(ag) Situations requiring an election. The secretary shall schedule an election when the term for an elective board position is due to expire or the position is vacated for any reason.
ETF 10.10(2)(ar)(ar) Regular elections. When a term is due to expire, the secretary shall schedule the election to ensure that the election is completed and the new board member announced prior to the date the new term commences.
ETF 10.10(2)(b)(b) Vacancies. If an elective board position is vacant for any reason other than the term expiring, the secretary shall schedule an election at a time determined by the secretary. The annuitant or participating employee elected in an election to fill a position vacated prior to the end of a term shall serve the remainder of the unexpired term.
ETF 10.10(3)(3)Call for nominations. The department shall publish, in a manner determined by the secretary, the notice of the election, the nomination timetable, and instructions explaining the nomination process for a prospective candidate.
ETF 10.10(4)(4)Nomination Procedures. A candidate shall be nominated by petition on forms provided by the department. Petitions shall be received by the department no later than the petition filing date in the nomination time schedule published under sub. (3). A nominating petition received after this date is invalid. A candidate shall do all of the following:
ETF 10.10(4)(a)(a) Submit a nominating petition. Submit to the department a nominating petition containing at least 25 but no more than 50 printed names and valid signatures of participating employees or annuitants eligible to vote in that election. The nominating petition shall contain the name and address of each signer’s employer and the date signed. For an annuitant, the name and address of the signer’s employer shall be that of the signer’s last participating employer in the Wisconsin retirement system. The department will verify the entries on the petition based on records in the department. Entries that cannot be verified shall not be counted. If more than 50 signatures are submitted, the department shall review for validity only the first 50 signatures, based on the earliest date signed, and disregard the balance.
ETF 10.10(4)(b)(b) Certify the nominating petition. Sign the nomination petition to certify that all signers are eligible to vote in the election category for which the candidate is running.
ETF 10.10(4)(c)(c) Submit a candidate statement. Submit a candidate information form to the department containing no more than 150 words. The department shall print no more than the first 150 words of the candidate’s information and make it available to eligible voters with the ballots. The candidate must sign the candidate information form verifying the accuracy and truthfulness of the information provided.
ETF 10.10 NoteNote: A Board Election Packet containing the Nominating Petition form and Candidate Information form can be obtained from the department by contacting the department’s board liaison at 877-533-5020.
ETF 10.10(5)(5)Nominations for the employee trust funds board. Any person who meets the eligibility requirements of s. 15.16 (1) (d) or (f), Stats., on the date the person files nomination papers with the department and who plans to continue meeting the eligibility requirements upon election, may be nominated for election to the employee trust funds board by satisfying the requirements of pars. (4) (a) to (c) within the calendar dates established by the department.
ETF 10.10(6)(6)Nominations for the teachers retirement board. Any person who meets the eligibility requirements of s. 15.165 (3) (a) 1., 2., 6., or 7., Stats., on the date the person files nomination papers with the department and who plans to continue meeting the eligibility requirements upon election, may be nominated for election to the teachers retirement board by satisfying the requirements of par. (4) (a) to (c) within the calendar dates established by the department.
ETF 10.10(7)(7)Eligibility to vote.
ETF 10.10(7)(a)(a) General requirements. A person shall be eligible to vote if the person is an annuitant or participating employee in the election category for which the election is being held and meets the other voting eligibility requirements in this section at the time ballot materials are printed for distribution and the department has a record of his or her eligibility.
ETF 10.10(7)(b)(b) Teachers retirement board elections. A participating employee of the state department of public instruction, state department of health services, state technical college system, and the state educational communications board, who is classified as a teacher under the Wisconsin retirement system, is not employed by a public school or a technical college system district and may not vote in any election to elect a teacher to serve on the teachers retirement board.
ETF 10.10(7)(c)(c) Teacher in public school and a technical college system district. For a teacher concurrently employed by both a public school and a technical college system district, the teacher shall be eligible to vote in both categories specified under s. 15.165 (3) (a) 1. and 2., Stats.
ETF 10.10(8)(8)Distribution procedures for paper ballots.
ETF 10.10(8)(ag)(ag) Scope. This subsection shall only apply to elections that are conducted using paper ballots. If an election is conducted using a combination of electronic and paper ballots, this subsection shall apply only to the paper ballots used in that election.
ETF 10.10(8)(ar)(ar) Ballot format. The department shall print ballots with the candidates’ names in alphabetical order and shall include, when the ballots are distributed, instructions for marking the ballot and the deadline for its return.
ETF 10.10(8)(b)(b) Distribution of ballots to participating employees. At the direction of the secretary, ballots may be distributed either through an employer or directly to a participating employee. If distributed through an employer, the department shall send each employer one ballot individually labeled with the participating employee’s name for each participating employee in the election category for which the election is being held who is employed by the employer and whose position is known to the department. A distribution list, prepared by the department and containing the names of participating employees for whom ballots are included, shall accompany the ballots. The department shall require an employer to verify, by signing the distribution list, that the employer distributed the ballots within 30 days of the date they were mailed by the department. The employer shall indicate on the distribution list which ballots could not be distributed and shall return the undistributed ballots.
ETF 10.10(8)(c)(c) Distribution of ballots to annuitants. The department shall send a ballot directly to each annuitant who is eligible to vote in that election at the last home address the department has on file.
ETF 10.10(8)(d)(d) Distribution of ballots to teachers with multiple employment locations. If a teacher is employed in more than one employment location within an election category specified under s. 15.165 (3) (a) 1. or 2., Stats., the department shall provide a paper ballot to only one location as determined by the department.
ETF 10.10(8)(e)(e) Distribution of ballots to teachers employed in a public school and a technical college system district. For a teacher concurrently employed by both a public school and a technical college system district, the department shall provide a ballot to both locations.
ETF 10.10(9)(9)Voting.
ETF 10.10(9)(ag)(ag) Voting methods. The secretary may conduct the election by paper ballots, electronic ballots, or a combination of such methods.
ETF 10.10(9)(ar)(ar) Voting procedure. The secretary shall approve a secure voting procedure that ensures that only a person eligible to vote is permitted to cast a vote, and that only one vote is recorded for each person who casts a vote in an election. A person eligible to vote shall cast his or her vote by indicating his or her choice of candidates in accordance with voting instructions approved by the secretary.
ETF 10.10(9)(b)(b) Voting when there are multiple teachers retirement board positions to be filled. If there is more than one teachers retirement board position to be filled in an election category and an election is held, voters may vote for as many candidates, in the appropriate election category, as there are positions to be filled.