April 30, 2019 - Introduced by Senators Hansen, Wirch, Larson and Miller,
cosponsored by Representatives Hebl, Neubauer, Anderson, Brostoff,
Crowley, Doyle, Emerson, Hesselbein, Ohnstad, Sinicki, Spreitzer, Stubbs,
Stuck and C. Taylor. Referred to Committee on Public Benefits, Licensing
and State-Federal Relations.

SB197,1,4 1An Act to renumber and amend 5.10; to amend 7.70 (5) (b) and 7.75 (2); and
2to create 5.10 (2), 5.11 and 5.12 of the statutes; relating to: entering into an
3agreement among the states to elect the president of the United States by
4means of a national popular vote.

Currently, the names of the presidential electors do not appear on the ballot in
this state. Instead, the names of the candidates for president and vice president
appear on the ballot and each vote cast for one of the tickets is a vote for the
presidential electors whose names are filed by their political party or, in the case of
independent candidates, whose names are filed with the nomination papers of the
candidates. After the winners of the presidential election in this state are
determined, the presidential electors convene and cast their ballots for the
candidates of the party who filed their names or for the independent candidates who
filed their names.

This bill ratifies an agreement among the states which provides that if the
agreement governs a particular presidential election, this state will certify the
electors of the party, or in the case of independent candidates, the electors of the
candidates, who win the national popular vote for president and vice president as the
winning slate of presidential electors in this state. Under the agreement, the
Elections Commission must certify to the other states the winners of the presidential
and vice presidential vote in this state and must accept the determinations of the
chief election officials of the other states in calculating the numbers of votes cast for

the presidential and vice presidential candidates in their states. The agreement
governs the election of presidential electors in this state in any year in which the
agreement is, on July 20, in effect in states cumulatively possessing a majority of
electoral votes.

SB197,2,92 5.10 (1) Although the names of the electors do not appear on the ballot and no
3reference is made to them, a vote for the president and vice president named on the
4ballot is a vote for the electors of the candidates for whom an elector's vote is cast.
5Under chs. 5 to 12, all references to the presidential election, the casting of votes and
6the canvassing of votes for president, or for president and vice president, mean votes
7for them through their pledged presidential electors, except that if the compact
8under s. 5.11 governs the election of presidential electors, the references mean votes
9for the presidential electors who represent the candidates.

SB197,2,1411 5.10 (2) No later than August 1 of each year in which a president is to be elected,
12the commission shall determine whether the compact under s. 5.11 governs the
13election of presidential electors at that election in this state and shall promptly
14publish a copy of its determination in the Wisconsin Administrative Register.