Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
This bill requires ranked-choice voting for the election of all federal, state, and
local officials, not including recall elections for any such officials. Under
ranked-choice voting, each voter may rank as many preferences for each office or
seat as there are candidates whose names appear on the ballot for that office or seat.
If the voter indicates a preference for more than one candidate for an office or seat,
the voter must indicate a preference between the candidates by designating one as
“first choice," another as “second choice," and ranking subsequent choices in
sequential preference. A voter may also indicate a preference for one or more
write-in candidates for any office or seat.
A voter who casts one vote for a candidate for an office or seat but who does not
indicate a preference is considered to have cast a “first-choice" preference for that
candidate. If any candidate receives a majority of the first-choice preferences for the
office or seat, that candidate is elected. If no candidate receives a majority of the
first-choice preferences for an office or seat, the name of the candidate receiving the
least number of first-choice preferences is dropped and the second-choice
preferences of the voters who preferred that candidate, if any, are then added to the
first-choice preferences received by the other candidates. Subsequent preferences
of those voters are allocated to the other candidates in a similar manner as
candidates with the fewest voter preferences are eliminated. If any candidate for the
office or seat then has a majority of the combined first-choice and reallocated
preferences, that candidate is elected. If not, the procedure is repeated until one
candidate receives a majority of the combined first-choice and reallocated
preferences.
In the case of a multiple-seat district, the candidates whose vote total is equal
to or greater than the threshold number of votes are elected. The threshold is
determined by dividing the total number of votes cast for the open seats by the
number of the open seats, plus one, and adding one to the quotient, disregarding any
fractions. Generally, if a candidate receives more than the number of threshold votes
during a round of counting the preferential votes, his or her surplus votes are
allocated to the continuing candidates in order of preference until all open seats are
filled. A voter may also indicate a preference for one or more write-in candidates.
Under ranked-choice voting, no primary election is held other than a special
primary for a partisan office, the partisan primary, and the presidential preference
primary. At the partisan primary, ranked-choice voting is used to determine the
candidate for each political party on the ballot who shall advance to the general
election. At the special primary, ranked-choice voting is used to determine the
candidate for each political party on the ballot who shall advance to the special
election. At the presidential preference primary, ranked-choice voting is used to
express preferences for the person to be the presidential candidate for each party in
a year in which electors for president and vice president are to be elected.
Finally, the bill authorizes the Elections Commission to make expenditures to
implement and administer ranked-choice voting, including updating equipment
and software and implementing secure technologies, and to make grants to counties
and municipalities for the same purpose.
For further information see the state and local fiscal estimate, which will be
printed as an appendix to this bill.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
enact as follows:
AB150,1
1Section 1
. 5.01 (4) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB150,3,82
5.01
(4) (a)
If Except as provided under s. 7.62, if 2 or more candidates for the
3same office receive the greatest, but an equal number of votes, the winner shall be
4chosen by lot in the presence of the board of canvassers charged with the
5responsibility to determine the election, or in the case of an election for state or
6national office or metropolitan sewerage commissioner, if the commissioner is
7elected under s. 200.09 (11) (am), in the presence of the chairperson of the elections
8commission or the chairperson's designee.
AB150,2
9Section 2
. 5.01 (4) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB150,4,210
5.01
(4) (b)
If Except as provided under s. 7.62, if, in a primary, 2 or more
11candidates receive an equal but not the greatest number of votes so that only one of
1those candidates with equal votes may advance to the final election, the choice shall
2similarly be made by drawing lots.
AB150,3
3Section 3
. 5.01 (4) (c) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB150,4,74
5.01
(4) (c)
The For purposes of pars. (a) and (b), the candidates may, if all those
5tied for the same office are present, draw for themselves. Upon refusal or absence
6of any of the candidates, the board of canvassers shall appoint a competent person
7to draw, and upon the results declare and certify the winner.
AB150,4
8Section 4
. 5.01 (5) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB150,4,169
5.01
(5) Election of governor and lieutenant governor. (a) In every general
10election to choose the governor and the lieutenant governor,
each elector shall have
11a single vote applicable to both offices. The the persons receiving the
greatest
12number of legal majority of highest-ranked votes cast jointly for them for governor
13and lieutenant governor shall be declared elected, and
the canvassers shall so
14determine and certify if no persons receive a majority of highest-ranked votes cast
15jointly for governor and lieutenant governor, the election shall be determined under
16s. 7.62.
AB150,4,2117
(b)
In case If 2 or more slates have an equal and the highest number of votes
18for governor and lieutenant governor
after the canvass under s. 7.62, the 2 houses
19of the legislature shall at the next annual session choose by joint ballot one of the
20slates so having an equal and the highest number of votes for governor and
21lieutenant governor.
AB150,5
22Section 5
. 5.02 (19) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB150,4,2423
5.02
(19) “Special election" means any election, other than those described in
24subs. (5), (12s),
and (21)
, and (22), to fill vacancies or to conduct a referendum.
AB150,6
25Section 6
. 5.02 (20r) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB150,5,3
15.02
(20r) “Special referendum" means any referendum held at a special
2election which is not held concurrently with the elections described in sub. (5), (12s),
3or (21)
, or (22).
AB150,7
4Section 7
. 5.02 (22) of the statutes is repealed.
AB150,8
5Section 8
. 5.05 (1) (g) of the statutes is created to read:
AB150,5,96
5.05
(1) (g) Make grants to counties and municipalities to update equipment
7and software, including the implementation of secure technologies, to administer
8ranked-choice voting under s. 5.20 and the canvass procedure for ranked-choice
9voting under s. 7.62.
AB150,9
10Section 9
. 5.15 (6) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB150,6,1211
5.15
(6) (b) No later than 30 days before each election, the governing body of
12any municipality may by resolution combine 2 or more wards for voting purposes to
13facilitate using a common polling place. Whenever wards are so combined, the
14original ward numbers shall continue to be utilized for all official purposes. Except
15as otherwise authorized under this paragraph, every municipality having a
16population of 35,000 or more shall maintain separate returns for each ward so
17combined. In municipalities having a population of 35,000 or more, the governing
18body may provide in a resolution that returns for any ward having a population of
1920 or less be combined with returns for any adjacent ward, if the total population of
20the combined wards does not exceed the applicable population range under sub. (2)
21(b) for wards in that municipality. In municipalities having a population of less than
2235,000, the governing body may provide in the resolution that returns shall be
23maintained only for each group of combined wards at any election. Whenever a
24governing body provides that returns shall be maintained only for combined wards
25under this paragraph, the municipality shall report separate results for each
1separate ballot required under ss.
5.58
5.60 to 5.64. The municipal clerk shall
2transmit a copy of the resolution to the county clerk of each county in which the
3municipality is contained. In municipalities having a population of less than 35,000,
4the resolution shall remain in effect for each election until modified or rescinded, or
5until a new division is made under this section. Whenever needed for purposes of this
6paragraph, the municipal clerk shall determine the population of each ward in his
7or her municipality. If the population of a ward cannot be determined from census
8results, the clerk shall determine the population of the smallest unit encompassing
9the entire ward that can be determined from census results. The clerk shall then
10divide the land area of the ward by the land area of that unit. The clerk shall then
11multiply that result by the population of the unit to determine the population of the
12ward for purposes of this paragraph.
AB150,10
13Section 10
. 5.20 of the statutes is created to read: