AB981,81,6 7.08 (1) Election forms, voting apparatus. (a) Prescribe all official ballot forms necessary under chs. 5 to 10 and 12 and revise the official ballot forms to harmonize with legislation and the current official status of the political parties whenever necessary. The commission secretary of state shall include on each ballot form, in the space for official endorsement, markings or spaces for identifying a ballot as an overvoted ballot, a duplicate overvoted ballot, a damaged ballot, or a duplicate damaged ballot, and for writing an identifying serial number. The commission secretary shall provide one copy of each ballot form without charge to each county and municipal clerk and board of election commissioners. The commission secretary shall distribute or arrange for distribution of additional copies. The prescribed forms shall be substantially followed in all elections under chs. 5 to 10 and 12.

AB981,81,12 (b) Prescribe the necessary standard sample forms and ballot containers to make the canvass, returns, statements and tally sheet statements for all elections the results of which are reportable to the commission secretary of state under s. 7.60 (4) (a), and all other materials as it deems necessary to conduct the elections. The sample forms shall contain the necessary certificates of the inspectors and canvassers with notes explaining their use and statutory basis.

AB981,81,17 (c) Prescribe forms required by ss. 6.24 (3) and (4), 6.30 (4) and (5), 6.33 (1), 6.47 (1) (am) 2. and (3), 6.55 (2), and 6.86 (2) to (3). All such forms shall contain a statement of the penalty applicable to false or fraudulent registration or voting through use of the form. Forms are not required to be furnished by the commission secretary of state.

AB981,81,24 (d) Promulgate rules for the administration of the statutory requirements for voting machines and electronic voting systems and any other voting apparatus which may be introduced in this state for use at elections. Pursuant to such responsibility, the commission secretary of state may obtain assistance from competent persons to check the machines, systems and apparatus and approve for use those types meeting the statutory requirements and shall establish reasonable compensation for persons performing duties under this paragraph.

AB981,183 Section 183. 7.08 (2) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB981,82,17 7.08 (2) (a) As soon as possible after the closing date for filing nomination papers or after the canvass of the primary vote, but no later than the deadlines established in s. 10.06, transmit to each county clerk a certified list of all candidates on file in its office for which electors in that county may vote. The list shall designate the order of arrangement and contain each candidate's first name, middle initial or initials and last name, unless the candidate on his or her nomination papers or declaration of candidacy specifies that the middle initial be deleted, that a full middle name or former legal surname be substituted for the middle initial, that an initial be substituted for the candidate's first name or that a nickname be substituted for a first or middle name or for a first initial or middle initial or initials, but no other abbreviations or titles are permitted. The list shall also include each candidate's residence and post-office address; the office for which the person is a candidate; and, the party or principle the candidate represents, if any, in 5 words or less. Names of candidates nominated under s. 7.38 or 8.35 shall be certified by the commission secretary of state upon filing of the necessary papers with it. At any time prior to an election, the commission secretary may transmit an amended certification if a candidate dies or is determined not to qualify for ballot placement.

AB981,184 Section 184. 7.08 (2) (d) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB981,82,22 7.08 (2) (d) As soon as possible after the last Tuesday in January of each year in which there is a presidential election, the commission secretary of state shall transmit to each county clerk a certified list of candidates for president who have qualified to have their names appear on the presidential preference primary ballot.

AB981,185 Section 185. 7.08 (3) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB981,83,3 7.08 (3) Election manual. (intro.) Prepare and publish separate from the election laws an election manual written so as to be easily understood by the general public explaining the duties of the election officials, together with notes and references to the statutes as the commission secretary of state considers advisable. The election manual shall:

AB981,186 Section 186. 7.08 (3) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB981,83,5 7.08 (3) (a) Be compiled by the commission secretary of state.

AB981,187 Section 187. 7.08 (4) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB981,83,10 7.08 (4) Election laws. Publish the election laws. The commission secretary of state shall sell or distribute or arrange for the sale or distribution of copies of the election laws to county and municipal clerks and boards of election commissioners and members of the public.

AB981,188 Section 188. 7.08 (6) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB981,83,19 7.08 (6) Enforcement of federal voting system standards. Following each general election, audit the performance of each voting system used in this state to determine the error rate of the system in counting ballots that are validly cast by electors. If the error rate exceeds the rate permitted under standards of the federal election commission in effect on October 29, 2002, the commission secretary of state shall take remedial action and order remedial action to be taken by affected counties and municipalities to ensure compliance with the standards. Each county and municipality shall comply with any order received under this subsection.

AB981,189 Section 189. 7.10 (1) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB981,84,2 7.10 (1) (a) Each county clerk shall provide ballots for every election in the county for all national, state and county offices, including metropolitan sewerage commission elections under s. 200.09 (11) (am), for municipal judges elected under s. 755.01 (4) and for state and county referenda. The official and sample ballots shall be prepared in substantially the same form as those prescribed by the commission secretary of state under s. 7.08 (1) (a).

AB981,190 Section 190. 7.10 (2) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB981,84,11 7.10 (2) Preparing ballots. The county clerk shall prepare copy for the official ballots immediately upon receipt of the certified list of candidates' names from the commission secretary of state. Names certified by the commission secretary shall be arranged in the order certified. The county clerk shall place the names of all candidates filed in the clerk's office or certified to the clerk by the commission secretary on the proper ballot or ballots under the appropriate office and party titles. The county clerk shall prepare a special ballot under s. 5.60 (8) showing only the candidates in the presidential preference primary.

AB981,191 Section 191. 7.10 (3) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB981,84,22 7.10 (3) (a) The county clerk shall distribute the ballots to the municipal clerks no later than 48 days before each partisan primary and general election and no later than 22 days before each other primary and election, except that the clerk shall distribute the ballots under sub. (2) for the presidential preference primary no later 48 days before the presidential preference primary. Election forms prepared by the commission secretary of state shall be distributed at the same time. If the commission secretary transmits an amended certification under s. 7.08 (2) (a) or if the commission secretary or a court orders a ballot error to be corrected under s. 5.06 (6) or 5.72 (3) after ballots have been distributed, the county clerk shall distribute corrected ballots to the municipal clerks as soon as possible.

AB981,192 Section 192. 7.10 (4) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB981,85,3 7.10 (4) Resolving notice doubts. When in doubt as to compliance with the statutory requirements for election notices or the correct fees to be paid for them, the county clerk may consult the commission secretary of state.

AB981,193 Section 193. 7.10 (7) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB981,85,7 7.10 (7) Voter education. Each county clerk shall assist the commission secretary of state in conducting educational programs under s. 5.05 (12) to inform electors about the voting process.

AB981,194 Section 194. 7.10 (8) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB981,85,12 7.10 (8) Free election information exchange. Each county clerk shall assist the commission secretary of state and municipal clerks in maintaining toll-free telephone lines and other free access systems under s. 5.05 (13) for exchange of voting information.

AB981,195 Section 195. 7.10 (9) of the statutes is amended to read: