6. Get help voting in a language other than English as provided by law.
7. Get a new ballot, up to three ballots in all, if the voter makes a mistake on
the ballot.
8. Cast a provisional ballot as provided by law.
9. Have the voter's ballot counted accurately.
10. Vote free from coercion or intimidation.
11. Report any illegal or fraudulent election activity.
Polling place posting and language requirements
Currently, municipal clerks and boards of election commissioners are directed
by law to post specified materials at each polling place. Currently, the Elections
Commission is also directed to ensure that in any jurisdiction in this state that is
required under federal law to provide voting materials in a language other than
English, the voting system used in that jurisdiction is in compliance with federal law.
This bill permits the commission to authorize another means of providing
notice to electors of the information required to be posted if the commission
determines that the alternative means of providing notice is at least as effective as
posting.
The bill also requires that at each polling place located in a jurisdiction that is
required under federal law to provide voting materials in a language other than
English, all required postings must be made in that language as well as in English
unless otherwise permitted by the commission. In addition, the bill directs the
municipal clerk or board of election commissioners of any such jurisdiction to contact
and coordinate with organizations that advocate for the rights of individuals who
speak that language to ensure that each polling place in the jurisdiction adequately
serves the needs of these individuals, and to endeavor to ensure that at least one of
the election officials who serves at each polling place in the jurisdiction speaks that
language.
Election manual
Under current law, the Elections Commission is required to publish an election
manual explaining the duties of election officials. The election manual is subject to
periodic review and revision and must emphasize that election officials should help,
not hinder, electors in exercising their voting rights.
The bill provides a number of additional requirements for the election manual,
including that the election manual be written in clear, unambiguous language; be
indexed by subject; contain specific examples of common problems encountered at
polling places on election day and detailed, specific procedures for resolving those
problems; and include an explanation of the laws and rules governing solicitation at
polling places, the rights of voters, and security procedures and other procedures to
be followed at polling places.
Withholding of voluntarily provided elector information
Currently, the Elections Commission and municipal clerks must provide public
access to information in the records of the commission and clerks unless otherwise
provided by law or unless the custodian demonstrates that the public interest in
withholding public access outweighs the public interest in providing that access. The

bill provides that whenever the commission or a county or municipal clerk or board
of election commissioners has the telephone number or e-mail address of an elector
that is voluntarily provided by the elector to the commission or to the clerk or board,
the commission and the clerk and board are prohibited from providing access to that
information except to election officials and employees to be used for the
administration of elections.
Because this bill creates a new crime or revises a penalty for an existing crime,
the Joint Review Committee on Criminal Penalties may be requested to prepare a
report.
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:
SB988,1 1Section 1. 5.05 (1) (e) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB988,5,102 5.05 (1) (e) Issue an order under s. 5.06, exempt a polling place from
3accessibility requirements under s. 5.25 (4) (a), permit a municipality to provide
4notices required at polling places by alternative means under s. 5.35 (6) (d),
exempt
5a municipality from the requirement to use voting machines or an electronic voting
6system under s. 5.40 (5m), approve an electronic data recording system for
7maintaining poll lists under s. 6.79, or authorize nonappointment of an individual
8who is nominated to serve as an election official under s. 7.30 (4) (e), or review and
9investigate complaints received under s. 12.17 (4) and order corrective measures
10under s. 12.17 (5) (a)
.
SB988,2 11Section 2. 5.056 of the statutes is amended to read:
SB988,6,5 125.056 Matching program with secretary of transportation. The
13commission administrator shall enter into the agreement with the secretary of
14transportation specified under s. 85.61 (1) to match personally identifiable
15information on the official registration list maintained by the commission under s.

16.36 (1) and the information specified in s. ss. 6.256 (2) and 6.34 (2m) with personally
2identifiable information maintained by the department of transportation. Subject
3to s. 343.14 (2p) (b), the agreement shall provide for the electronic transfer of
4information under s. 6.256 (2) to the commission on a continuous basis, no less often
5than monthly.
SB988,3 6Section 3. 5.06 (2) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB988,6,157 5.06 (2) No Except as authorized in ss. 5.07 (2) and 12.17 (3), no person who
8is authorized to file a complaint under sub. (1), other than the attorney general or
9a district attorney, may commence an action or proceeding to test the validity of any
10decision, action or failure to act on the part of any election official with respect to any
11matter specified in sub. (1) without first filing a complaint under sub. (1), nor prior
12to disposition of the complaint by the commission. A complaint is deemed disposed
13of if the commission fails to transmit an acknowledgment of receipt of the complaint
14within 5 business days from the date of its receipt or if the commission concludes its
15investigation without a formal decision.
SB988,4 16Section 4. 5.07 of the statutes is renumbered 5.07 (1).
SB988,5 17Section 5. 5.07 (2) of the statutes is created to read:
SB988,6,2418 5.07 (2) Whenever a violation of s. 5.25 (4) (b), 5.35 (6) (a) 4c., 7.08 (3), 12.09,
19or 12.19 occurs or is proposed to occur, any elector of this state may sue for injunctive
20relief, a writ of mandamus or prohibition, or such other legal or equitable relief as
21may be appropriate to compel compliance with the law. The action shall be filed in
22circuit court for the county where the violation occurs or is proposed to occur. In such
23actions, the court shall award costs and reasonable actual attorney fees to the
24plaintiff if the plaintiff prevails in the action.