SB834,,2332335.655 (3) The commission secretary of state 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.

SB834,,2352355.72 Correcting ballot errors. (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 secretary of state 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.

SB834,,236236(2) The commission secretary of state 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).

SB834,,237237(3) Whenever an affidavit is filed by the commission secretary of state 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.

SB834,,2392395.83 Preparation for use of voting devices; comparison of ballots. Where voting devices are used at a polling place, the municipal clerk shall cause the voting devices to be put in order, set, adjusted, and made ready for voting when delivered to the polling place. Before the opening of the polls the inspectors shall compare the ballots used in the voting devices with the sample ballots furnished and see that the names, numbers, and letters thereon agree and shall certify thereto on forms provided by the commission secretary of state.

SB834,,2412415.87 (2) The commission secretary of state shall, by rule, prescribe uniform standards for determining the validity of votes cast or attempted to be cast with each electronic voting system approved for use in this state under s. 5.91. The rules shall apply only to situations that may arise in which the validity of a vote or attempted vote cast by an elector utilizing a particular system cannot be determined under s. 7.50.

SB834,,2432435.905 (2) The commission secretary of state shall determine which software components of an electronic voting system it he or she considers to be necessary to enable review and verification of the accuracy of the automatic tabulating equipment used to record and tally the votes cast with the system. The commission secretary shall require each vendor of an electronic voting system that is approved under s. 5.91 to place those software components in escrow with the commission secretary within 90 days of the date of approval of the system and within 10 days of the date of any subsequent change in the components. The commission secretary shall secure and maintain those software components in strict confidence except as authorized in this section. Unless authorized under this section, the commission secretary shall withhold access to those software components from any person who requests access under s. 19.35 (1). The secretary of state shall promulgate rules for the administration of this subsection.

SB834,,2452455.905 (3) The commission secretary of state shall promulgate rules to ensure the security, review, and verification of software components used with each electronic voting system approved by the commission secretary. The verification procedure shall include a determination that the software components correspond to the instructions actually used by the system to count votes. The secretary shall report all findings under this subsection to the standing legislative oversight committees as soon as practicable after completion of the verification procedure.

SB834,,2472475.905 (4) If a valid petition for a recount is filed under s. 9.01 in an election at which an electronic voting system was used to record and tally the votes cast, each party to the recount may designate one or more persons who are authorized to receive access to the software components that were used to record and tally the votes in the election. The commission secretary of state shall grant access to the software components to each designated person if, before receiving access, the person enters into a written agreement with the commission secretary that obligates the person to exercise the highest degree of reasonable care to maintain the confidentially of all proprietary information to which the person is provided access, unless otherwise permitted in a contract entered into under sub. (5).

SB834,,2492495.91 Requisites for approval of ballots, devices and equipment. (intro.) No ballot, voting device, automatic tabulating equipment, or related equipment and materials to be used in an electronic voting system may be utilized in this state unless it is certified by the commission secretary of state. The commission secretary may revoke its his or her certification of any ballot, device, equipment, or materials at any time for cause. The commission secretary may certify any such voting device, automatic tabulating equipment, or related equipment or materials regardless of whether any such item is approved by the federal election assistance commission, but the commission secretary of state may not certify any ballot, device, equipment, or material to be used in an electronic voting system unless it fulfills the following requirements:

SB834,,2522525.95 Elector information. The commission secretary of state shall prescribe information to electors in municipalities and counties using various types of electronic voting systems to be published in lieu of the information specified in s. 10.02 (3) in type B notices whenever the type B notice information is inapplicable.

SB834,,2542546.06 Information for uniformed service members. The commission office of the secretary of state is the agency designated by this state under 42 USC 1973ff-1 to provide information regarding voter registration and absentee balloting procedures to absent members of the uniformed services and overseas voters with respect to elections for national office.

SB834,,2562566.22 (4) (d) The commission secretary of state shall prescribe the instructions for marking and returning ballots and the municipal clerk shall enclose instructions with each ballot and shall also enclose supplemental instructions for local elections. The envelope, return envelope and instructions may not contain the name of any candidate appearing on the enclosed ballots other than that of the municipal clerk affixed in the fulfillment of his or her duties.

SB834,,2582586.22 (6) Military elector list. Each municipal clerk shall keep an up-to-date list of all eligible military electors who reside in the municipality in the format prescribed by the commission secretary of state. The list shall contain the name, latest-known military residence and military mailing address of each military elector. The list shall indicate whether each elector whose name appears on the list is a military elector, as defined in s. 6.34 (1), and has so certified under s. 6.865 (3m). All persons over 18 years of age or who will be 18 years old prior to an election shall be listed and remain on the list for the duration of their tour of duty. The list shall be kept current through all possible means. Each clerk shall exercise reasonable care to avoid duplication of names or listing anyone who is not eligible to vote. Each clerk shall distribute one copy of the list to the each polling place in the municipality for use on election day.

SB834,,2602606.24 (3) Registration. The overseas elector shall register in the municipality where he or she was last domiciled or where the overseas elector’s parent was last domiciled on a form prescribed by the commission secretary of state designed to ascertain the elector’s qualifications under this section. The commission secretary shall ensure that the form is substantially similar to the original form under s. 6.33 (1), insofar as applicable. Registration shall be accomplished in accordance with s. 6.30 (4) or (5).