Frequently Asked Questions
This Frequently Asked Questions is being added to all the time. Please check back again for new entries.
| Questions | Answers | |
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| GAB-190 Form Required for the February 21, 2012, Spring Primary |
As you know, several recently passed election laws including Wisconsin Act 23, Act 75, Act 43 and Act 44, as well as pending legislation in Assembly Bill 476 have had and will have a major impact on the administration of elections. One noticeable impact of the recently passed and pending legislation is reflected in the increase in the amount of statistics and other information needed to be collected by municipal clerks and county clerks on the GAB-190 Election Voting and Registration Statistics Report. Since clerks are focused on implementing redistricting as required by the 2010 Decennial Census results, and getting ready for the full implementation of the Photo Identification law that goes into full effect with the February 21 Spring Primary, we have decided to delay issuing a revised GAB-190 Form to comport with the new aforementioned Wisconsin Acts until the April 3, 2012 Presidential Preference and Spring Election at the earliest. The GAB-190 version that was in effect for the 2011 Election Cycle will be used for the February 21, 2012 Spring Primary. We simply do not want to over burden you at this time with a revised and expanded GAB-190 Form that will incorporate and accommodate changes and updates necessitated by the new election administration laws. We appreciate the hard work being performed by municipal and county clerks during this unusually busy time. Thank you. cc: Kevin J. Kennedy Ross D. Hein Aaron P. Frailing |
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| New Training Resources Available |
In response to earlier feedback from clerks and other election officials, and in an effort to better serve our election partners, the Government Accountability Board is committed to the use of new training delivery methods and formats to provide more training opportunities on Voter Photo ID and other election administration topics on-demand and closer to home. The primary aspects of the G.A.B.’s training plan are:
Board staff has developed two PowerPoint presentations with narratives voiced by Board staff. The first presentation is “Major Impacts of the New Voter Photo ID Bill.” The presentation is 23 minutes in length and we suggest stopping the presentation periodically to go over the documentation under discussion in more detail. The second presentation is “Overview of Absentee Voting Rules," and consists of three parts, each of which lasts about 20 minutes. If you do not have PowerPoint 2010 on your computer, please download and install the PowerPoint Viewer available through the link provided on the appropriate pages on the website. We hope you find the presentations helpful and informative. They represent what we intend to be a steady supply of new training materials and updated information, delivered in new and exciting ways to our clerk-partners and local election officials. If you have any questions about these materials, please contact Training Officer Allison Coakley: allison.coakley@wi.gov or (608) 261-2033. cc: Kevin J. Kennedy |
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| Updated Key Changes to SVRS for Photo ID |
On January 27, 2012, G.A.B. staff announced to all SVRS users that new updates had been installed in SVRS to support Wisconsin Act 23, the Voter Photo ID Law. A “Key Changes” document was released outlining the updates that were made to SVRS to assist clerks in compliance with this new law. Based on feedback from municipal and county clerks, and continued testing of the new SVRS functions, the “Key Changes” document has been updated and clarified, to more accurately reflect the way SVRS is currently functioning. G.A.B. staff will continue to tweak the SVRS functionality based on feedback from clerks and as a result of testing. We will continue to update the “Key Changes” documentation as updates are made so that clerks will have up-to-date and accurate documentation on the features of SVRS that support the new Photo ID Law. Watch for more updates on the following:
We thank you again for your patience and cooperation as we continue to improve SVRS and provide you with the tools you need to implement the Photo ID Law. Please contact the G.A.B. Help Desk at gabhelpdesk@wi.gov, or (608) 261-2028 if you have questions. cc: Kevin J. Kennedy Ross D. Hein
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| Teleconference: Municipal Boards of Canvass Procedures on February 15 |
Municipal Boards of Canvass Procedures for Municipal and County Clerks
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| Procedures for Canvassing Late-Arriving Absentee and Provisional Ballots -- Election Day Provisional Ballot Procedures. |
2011 Wisconsin Act 23 (the Photo ID Law) and 2011 Wisconsin Act 75 have significantly impacted election procedures as they pertain to provisional and absentee voters. Electors who voted provisional ballots have until 4:00 p.m. on the Friday following the election to submit missing documentation in order for their ballot to be processed and counted. Likewise, absentee ballots postmarked no later than election day can be processed and counted if received no later than 4:00 p.m. on the Friday following the election. The Photo I.D. law provides that a person offering to vote on election day who cannot show acceptable ID may vote provisionally. Due to this additional reason for an elector to vote provisionally, we expect an increase in the number of provisional ballots issued. In the past, the number of provisional ballots issued has been minimal, and some municipalities have never had cause to issue them. Now, provisionally voting will be an issue for all municipalities. Pending legislation directs (AB-476/SB-381)that the Municipal Board of Canvassers (MBOC) is required to process and tally late-arriving absentee and provisional ballots. This means that regardless of whether there are municipal offices or referenda on the ballot, each municipality’s MBOC will be required to convene to process and count any late-arriving absentee and provisional ballots. This procedure is in effect for the February 21, 2012 Spring Primary. The attached documents detail the procedure for election inspectors to use when issuing provisional ballots on Election Day, and the procedure for the Municipal Board of Canvassers to use when processing late-arriving absentee and provisional ballots. The G.A.B. will host a teleconference on Wednesday, February 15, 2012 from 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. The attached documents will be discussed at that teleconference. To participate in the teleconference, please call: 1-888-517-2485 (toll free) and enter passcode 6253501#. If you have questions with respect to this correspondence, please contact Diane Lowe at 608-266-3276 or diane.lowe@wi.gov. Thank you. |
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| Central Count Absentee Guideline and Procedure Review Process -- Action Requested by Thursday, February 16, 2012. |
Immediately following this Memorandum, please find the Central Count Absentee Guideline, which was adopted by the Government Accountability Board at its meeting on December 13, 2011. At the Board’s August, September, and December 2011 meetings, the Board considered previous recommended procedures for Central Count Absentee and those practices in place in various jurisdictions. In addition, the Board considered comments submitted by many clerks regarding effective Central Count Absentee procedures and limitations of the current enabling statutes. Ultimately and in the current context of the relatively recent activities of the Joint Committee for Review of Administrative Rules, the Board adopted a guideline with stricter adherence to the statutory provisions prescribing the Central Count Absentee procedures. Most notably, this Central Count Absentee Guideline reaffirms the statutory election night reconciliation of the central count poll list with polling place poll lists. After any Central Count Absentee canvass is completed, the Board of Canvassers shall reconcile the poll list (or absentee log) of the electors who vote by absentee ballot with the corresponding poll list of electors who vote in-person to ensure that no elector is allowed to cast more than one ballot. Wis. Stat. §7.53(1) and (2)(d). If an elector who votes in-person has submitted an absentee ballot, the absentee ballot is void. Id. In addition, the Board directed staff to notify all clerks, but specifically clerks for municipalities with existing or contemplated Central Count Absentee, of the Central Count Absentee Guideline and the Board’s direction that clerks conform their Central Count Absentee conduct to the law. For those clerks in municipalities with, or contemplating, Central Count Absentee, please forward copies of your enabling ordinances and any written procedures for Central Count Absentee for review by Board staff to ensure compliance with the Central Count Absentee Guideline and statutes. Direct your emails to David Buerger, Election Specialist, at David.Buerger@wi.gov. Please complete this submission no later than Thursday, February 16, 2012. Please note that the Board also directed staff to incorporate more information regarding Central Count Absentee processes in the Election Day Manual and training, as well as develop recommendations for statutory revisions for consideration by the Board. This work continues at the G.A.B.; however, the Legislature continues to consider statutory revisions of the absentee voting process as a whole, which may further impact the Central Count Absentee Guideline and procedures. Both houses of the Legislature have introduced bills restricting electors from voting in-person, if they have already returned an absentee ballot to a clerk. See 2011 AB525 and SB271. This pending legislation is nearing a vote in both the Assembly and Senate. For more information, please review the bills and amendments at: https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/2011/proposals/ab525 https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/2011/proposals/sb271 .) For more background on the development of the Central Count Absentee Guideline, please see the Memorandum to the Board dated December 13, 2011 and attachments, which can be found on the G.A.B. website in the December 13, 2011 Board Meeting Materials at pages 34-51: http://gab.wi.gov/about/meetings/2011/december . If you have any further questions or concerns, please contact David Buerger, Election Specialist, at 608-267-0951 or David.Buerger@wi.gov. Thank you. cc: Kevin J. Kennedy Ross D. Hein
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| G.A.B. Extended Hours for Spring Primary Election |
For municipal and county clerks who will conduct a Spring Primary Election on February 21, 2012, I am pleased to inform you that we are offering the following expanded operating hours as part of our ongoing customer service to you:
If you are one of the 522 municipalities conducting a Primary next Tuesday, we encourage you to call our office as soon as possible with your questions. Please contact our Help Desk at We wish you and your voters a successful and problem-free Election Day. cc: Kevin J. Kennedy Ross D. Hein
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| SVRS Checklist #1 for April 3, 2012 Presidential Preference and Spring Election |
Please note that this memo covers several important SVRS updates. SVRS Checklist #1 for the April 2012 election is attached.
If you have questions on the Redistricting project, please continue to use the incident tracker at the following link: http://wisapps.wi.gov/sites/GAB/Incident/default.aspx. . If you need to contact the Help Desk, the email address is gabhelpdesk@wi.gov. Thank you. cc: Kevin J. Kennedy Ross Hein
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| February Primary Election Readiness: Final Preparations |
We truly regret sharing so much important information about the February 21 Primary at such a late date. Mostly, we are reacting to situations that are entirely beyond our direct control. We ask for your continued understanding and patience. Wisconsin election officials have experienced some of the most extensive changes to election procedures in the past year. Lately, new election administration legislation is being passed seemingly, weekly! These changes have been a challenge for everyone charged with administering elections. Although it does not change the amount of work that still needs to be done, the Government Accountability Board thanks you for your hard work and dedication. We will get through this very demanding time together. In order to fully prepare our election partners for the upcoming spring primary, please see the following communications. In an ideal scenario, we would have liked to provide you additional time to review, however, due to resource limitations and time constraints, these communications are provided as soon as we possibly could. We appreciate your understanding. Please see the following communications, attached to this memo:
Even in light of the challenges we are all dealing with, I remain confident that we will have a successful 2012 election year. If you have questions regarding these communications, please contact the G.A.B. Help Desk at gabhelpdesk@wi.gov or (608) 261-2028. Thank you. cc: Kevin J. Kennedy |
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| Letter to Clerk Association Presidents about Recall Election Timing |
Barbara A. Frank, President Ann B. Uecker, President Dear Barb and Ann, I am writing to you because it has been brought to our attention by some of your members that Senator Scott Fitzgerald sent a letter dated February 13, 2012 to Barb in her role as President of the Wisconsin County Clerks Association stating the Government Accountability Board was working to schedule separate recall election dates for the Senate officeholders and the Governor/Lt. Governor, which would cause significant additional election costs to counties and municipalities. He even provided specific dates for the possible recall elections for Senate The Government Accountability Board (G.A.B.) has stated from the beginning of this latest round of recall initiatives that if recall elections are ordered, we prefer to have all recall events scheduled for two dates, one primary date and one election date. We believe this approach is better for the taxpayers because it reduces the costs of conducting multiple elections, and better for the voters because it avoids possible confusion about who is on the ballot and for what office. We also believe it is better for local election officials because you can focus your energy on two possible election events rather than four or possibly more additional election events within a short period of time, and it helps to minimize challenges related to the availability of voting machine memory devices. The timing of recall elections is specifically prescribed by the Wisconsin Constitution and state statutes. Absent a Court order otherwise, a recall election must be held the sixth Tuesday following a certification of sufficiency of a recall petition. While state statutes permit the G.A.B., the recall committees, and the officeholders the ability to request additional time to review recall petitions and possibly to alter recall election dates, the Circuit Court may not do so without having first found good cause. To date, the Circuit Court has only ordered that the G.A.B. complete its review of the recall petitions by March 19, 2012 and no orders have established actual recall election dates. The G.A.B. cannot control for the possibility of primary elections or for the possibility of delays if a determination of sufficiency for any recall petition is challenged in court. A Circuit Court currently has jurisdiction over the recall petition process and we are aware that Governor Walker has already filed a motion requesting even more time to review the recall petition against him and if the Court provides the Governor that relief, it could in and of itself cause separate recall election dates for the Senate officeholders and Governor/Lt. Governor. Our focus is on conducting our review of the petitions and challenges as efficiently as possible. If recall elections are scheduled, we prefer them to be on the same sets of dates because that is what is best for taxpayers, voters and local election officials. Unfortunately, the G.A.B. does not have absolute control over the dates for any recall elections, especially in the context of potential Court orders affecting the recall process and the strict Wisconsin Constitution and state statutory provisions. Anyone believing that they can offer definitive dates for recall elections at this early stage and before the Circuit Court specifically addresses these matters, clearly has not appreciated the complexity of this situation and the rigidity of the constitutional and statutory recall provisions. We ask that you continue to rely on our direct communications about the scheduling and administration of any recall elections rather than relying on second-hand information or interpretations of the Board’s plans or actions. We are planning a G.A.B. meeting for Monday, March 12, 2012 to make some key decisions about the review of the Senate recall petitions. One of those decisions is reiterating our request to hold recall elections of the Senate, if ordered, on the same date as the Governor and Lt. Governor if ordered and assuming that litigation by the recall committees or officeholders subject to the recalls does not impact the timing of any recall elections. We will keep you apprised as we move forward. Please feel free to contact Nat, Ross or me if you have any questions.
Kevin J. Kennedy |
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| Act 115 (SB 381) Signed into Law - Publication Expected Today (February 20, 2012) |
Once again, it is my duty to share election administration legislation that was signed into law this past Friday, February 17, 2012, and expected to become effective tomorrow, February 21, 2012, Spring Primary Day. In response to Acts 23 and 75, changes in state law were necessary for the canvassing of late-arriving absentee ballots and provisional ballots issued on Election Day. On Friday, January 17, 2012, Governor Walker signed into law Act 115 and publication of the Act is anticipated today by the Secretary of State, making the law effective tomorrow, Tuesday, February 21, 2012. For additional information required by the Act, see the following link: http://docs.legis.wi.gov/2011/related/acts/115. In anticipation of the Act’s passage, Government Accountability Board (G.A.B.) staff created administrative procedures for the canvassing of late-arriving absentee and provisional ballots: http://gab.wi.gov/node/2206. Additionally, G.A.B. staff held a teleconference on Wednesday, February 15, 2012 to discuss these changes with our clerk partners. The recording from this teleconference is available at the following link: http://gab.wi.gov/node/2211. Following the G.A.B. canvassing communication, an amendment was offered by the Legislature regarding the reconvening of the municipal board of canvassers in municipalities with only one polling place. G.A.B. staff will be updating the Processing and Counting Late-Arriving Absentee and Provisional Ballots manual to include this change. The amendment was included as part of Act 115 and provides: 7.53 (1) (b) Solely for purposes of the reconvention of a board of canvassers under par. (a) for a specific election, the municipal clerk may determine to replace the members of the board of canvassers with a 3-member board of canvassers consisting of the clerk, the chief inspector, and one other inspector who shall be appointed by the clerk. If the municipal clerk is a candidate at the election being canvassed or is unable to serve, the other 2 members shall appoint a qualified elector of the municipality to serve in place of the clerk. If one of the other members is unable to serve, the municipal clerk shall appoint a qualified elector of the municipality to serve in place of that member. The person or persons making any appointment under this paragraph shall do so by letter which shall be signed by the person or persons, dated, and filed in the office of the municipal clerk. Upon the appointment and qualification of all members, the reconstituted board of canvassers shall then reconvene and carry out its responsibilities under par. (a). Starting with the February 21, 2012 Spring Primary, municipal clerks are now required to post the number of absentee and provisional ballots outstanding on the Internet. Additionally, state and federal law requires municipal clerks (via the SVRS self-provider or provider) to enter provisional ballot voter status into the G.A.B. provisional tracking system. Instructions can be found at the following link: http://gab.wi.gov/node/2211. If you have questions regarding this communication, please contact our Help Desk at (608) 261-2028, or by email at gabhelpdesk@wi.gov. Thank you.
cc: Kevin J. Kennedy Ross D. Hein Diane Lowe Shane Falk |
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| SVRS Checklist #3 for February 21, 2012 Spring Primary |
If you have questions on post-election activities in SVRS, please contact the Help Desk at cc: Kevin J. Kennedy Ross Hein
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| Presidential Preference Candidate Name Misspelling |
It has come to my attention that Presidential Preference Candidate Michele Bachmann’s name is misspelled on the Presidential Preference Vote Candidate Certification. Representative Bachmann’s last name is spelled with a double “n,” not one “n” as shown on the certification. The name should appear as: Michele Bachmann Please instruct your printers and programmers to correct this error so that your April 3, 2012 ballots are correct. If your April 3, 2012 ballots have been printed and equipment has been programmed, the ballots will need to be reprinted and programming will have to be corrected. The Presidential-Only ballots sent to military and overseas voters do not have to be resent. I sincerely apologize for this error and truly hope the inconvenience of correcting the error is not overly burdensome. The error is mine and should have been addressed earlier. If you have questions, please contact Diane Lowe, Elections Specialist, at 608-266-3276 or diane.lowe@wi.gov. Thank you.
cc: Kevin J. Kennedy Nathaniel E. Robinson Ross D. Hein |
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| Redistricting Clerk Teleconference Call and Webinar |
DATE: February 24, 2012
TO: Wisconsin Municipal Clerks FROM: Nathaniel E. Robinson SUBJECT: Redistricting Clerk Teleconference Call and Webinar To assist clerks with the Redistricting Initiative in SVRS and other recent changes, G.A.B. is offering clerks two upcoming sessions to ask questions and get information: Teleconference for Municipal and County Clerks The Teleconference for Municipal and County Clerks will discuss the protocol that G.A.B. staff is using to assist clerks to resolve Redistricting incidents. Specifically, items to be covered on the teleconference include:
Webinar for Municipal and Count Clerks The Webinar for SVRS Redistricting will cover specific topics related to Redistricting that merit additional clarification, based on the experiences of and lessons learned from preparing for the February 21 Spring Primary:
A Special Recognition, Appreciation and Thank-you to our Valued Partners and Customers: Once again, we extend to you, our hardworking Municipal and County Clerks, our hearty thanks for your diligence and patience during these difficult times. This past year, we have all experienced the enactment of new state legislation affecting election administration and of course, redistricting, including Wisconsin 2011 Acts 23, 75, and 115. Several other Acts introduced a new way to implement the decennial redistricting, i.e. 2011 Acts 39, 43, and 44. Of course, this falls on the heels of relatively new federal legislation that has also impacted election procedures, namely the MOVE Act and the Help America Vote Act. These fundamental changes have already caused, and will continue to cause, increased responsibilities for all of us. The significance of these legislative changes have strained your and our limited resources and resulted in more frequent communications from the G.A.B., revised or new procedures, revised forms, revised manuals, new training, teleconferences, and webinars in an effort to support all of us. We all proudly share an honorable profession -- the administration of elections in a fair and transparent manner with the highest degree of great pride and integrity. The policy makers have spoken. We need to, and we will continue to work together as a committed and dedicated team to carry out our additional and new responsibilities in the same professional manner that we always have. We stand with you and continue to steadfastly honor our mission to support you. If you have questions, please continue to report Redistricting issues on our Incident Website, http://wisapps.wi.gov/sites/GAB/Incident/default.aspx, or contact the Help Desk at gabhelpdesk@wi.gov, or 608-261-2028. We look forward to you joining us on the teleconference call next Thursday, and we welcome your participation next in Friday’s Webinar, March 1 and 2 respectively. Thank you. cc: Kevin J. Kennedy Ross Hein
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| Friendly Reminder about the Redistricting Teleconference Call March 1 |
Teleconference for Municipal and County Clerks Meeting Objectives: The following objectives are expected to be accomplished:
Meeting Agenda:
Webinar for Municipal and County Clerks |
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| Requesting Feedback from the Clerks: Processing and Counting Late-Arriving Absentee and Provisional Ballots Manual |
In an effort to serve our election partners more effectively, the Government Accountability Board is requesting feedback from clerks as part of an ongoing effort to improve our election administration procedures, manuals and other documents. We are specifically requesting your input into our recently developed Processing and Counting Late-Arriving Absentee and Provisional Ballots Manual, the subject of a teleconference on February 15, 2012. The Manual details the procedure for election inspectors to use when issuing provisional Ballots on Election Day, and the procedure for the Municipal Board of Canvassers to use when processing late-arriving absentee and provisional ballots. These procedures went into effect for the February 21, 2012 Spring Primary. The manual attached above has been updated since it was initially posted on February 13, 2012 in response to Legislative changes and question received from our clerk partners. We would like your feedback regarding:
We welcome your feedback. Please send any comments or observations you may have by close of business on Friday, March 9, 2012 to: GABCanvass@wi.gov. If you have any questions about these materials, please contact the Government Accountability Board Help Desk at (608) 261-2028 or gabhelpdesk@wi.gov cc: Kevin J. Kennedy
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| Status of Absentee Ballots Sent to Military and Overseas Voters |
Follow-up on a U. S. Department of Justice Request
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| April Election Webinars |
To assist clerks with the many new instructions and requirements in effect for the April 2012 Presidential Preference and Spring Election, G.A.B. staff will be hosting a series of webinars to help clerks be prepared for the Election. We ask that you place these webinar dates on your calendar. Completed webinars will be posted on the new Training Webinar page.Interactive Live WebinarsThe following interactive webinars are offered to clerks in March. Space is limited to 100 participants per session so please register early. Each session will also be recorded and posted to the G.A.B. website for all clerks to view at their convenience. Tracking Photo ID in SVRSThursday, March 8, 2012 - 2-3:00 p.m.
Preparing for a Smooth and Efficient Polling PlaceTuesday, March 13, 2012 - 10-11:30 a.m.
New Provisional Ballot Tracker and Updates to the Canvass Reporting SystemTuesday, March 20, 2012 - 2-3:30 p.m.
Pre-Recorded Training VideosG.A.B. staff are also preparing several pre-recorded training videos that clerks can view at their convenience. These videos will be posted to the G.A.B. website by the dates listed below. Printing Ineligible Voter ListsPre-Recorded Training Video
Updates to WEDCS for the April ElectionPre-Recorded Training Video
If you have questions, please continue to report issues on our Incident Website, http://wisapps.wi.gov/sites/GAB/Incident/default.aspx, or contact the Help Desk at gabhelpdesk@wi.gov, or 608-261-2028. Thank you.
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| SVRS Checklist #2 for April 3, 2012 Presidential Preference Vote and Spring Election |
IMPORTANT INFOMATION
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| Audio of March 1, 2012 Clerk Redistricting Teleconference |
Special Note: The audio file from the Government Accountability Board Teleconference with Municipal and County Clerks from Thursday, March 1, 2012 is now available at the link above. We regret that despite our numerous efforts requesting participants to mute their phones and cease conversations, there were interferences that are distracting and take away from the quality of the presentation. Rest assured, we will remedy this situation for all future teleconferences. |
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| Injunction Regarding Wisconsin Act 23 - Voter Photo Identification Legislation Impact |
As needed, please contact the Help Desk at gabhelpdesk@wi.gov, or (608) 261-2028. Thank you. |
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| Clerks Advice on Preferred Date for Recall Election - Respond by Monday, March 12, 2012 |
Thank you!
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| Access and Printing Ineligible Voter Lists -- Pre-Recorded Training Video and Instructions |
On January 27, 2012, we informed County and Municipal Clerks and Election Commissioners that beginning with the April 3, 2012, Spring Election and Presidential Preference Primary, and all elections going forward, the Ineligible Voter Lists will be provided online for clerks to access and print on demand at their convenience, in a manner similar to the way Poll Lists are produced.
If you need further information, please contact the G.A.B. Help Desk at 608-261-2028 or GABHelpDesk@wi.gov. Thank you. cc: Kevin J. Kennedy |
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| Photo ID Injunction Q & A |
If you have questions, please contact the Help Desk at 608-261-2028 or gab@wi.gov.
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| Presidential Preference Primary Election Reporting - Implementation of Ward Splits Caused by Acts 43, 44 |
IntroductionThe Government Accountability Board has identified an apparent conflict between Wis. Stat. §8.12(3) requirements regarding reporting results of the April 3, 2012 Presidential Preference Primary Election and Wis. Stat. §5.15(4)(a) regarding a municipalities adoption of a new ward plan by April 10, 2012 to address wards split by a Legislative or Congressional district boundary. The G.A.B. adopted guidance on October 19, 2011 regarding the effective date of 2011 Wisconsin Act 43, relating to reapportionment of Assembly and Senate districts. In the October 19, 2011 guidance, the Board opined that Act 43 first applies “with respect to regular elections, to offices filled at the 2012 general election.” 2011 Wisconsin Act 43, §10(1). Similarly, 2011 Wisconsin Act 44, relating to reapportionment of Congressional districts, has an identical effective date and initial applicability clause. 2011 Wisconsin Act 44, §4(1). The consequence of these provisions is that the nomination process, primaries, and finally the General Election on November 6, 2012 will occur in the districts established by Acts 43 and 44. The application of the Act 44 Congressional districts impacts the Presidential Preference Primary Election reporting. The requirement to split certain wards as a result of boundary lines from districts established in Acts 43 and 44 and the statutory timeline for doing so, may impact election set-up for the April 3, 2012 Spring Election, in addition to Presidential Preference Primary Election reporting. The G.A.B. understands and acknowledges that as of the date of this Memorandum, ballot preparation and voting systems programming is likely complete, as ballots will be distributed beginning Monday, March 12, 2012. This Memorandum shall provide clarification of the Board’s guidance for purposes of reporting the results of the April 3, 2012 Presidential Preference Primary Election and implementation of ward splits caused by Acts 43 and 44. The guidance contained herein shall be applicable until further notice from the G.A.B. Presidential Preference Primary Reporting (April 3, 2012)The Presidential Preference Primary Election assists political parties with their determination of the presidential candidates who will appear on the ballot for the November 6, 2012 General Election. Pursuant to Wis. Stat. §8.12(1), the Presidential Preference Primary Election occurs at the April 3, 2012 Spring Election. No later than May 15 following the Presidential Preference Primary Election, the G.A.B. shall notify each state party organization chairperson of the results within the State and within each Congressional district. Wis. Stat. §8.12(3). Since the offices of President and Vice-President are “filled at the 2012 general election,” the Congressional districts established in Act 44 apply to the Presidential Preference Primary Election. Therefore, the G.A.B. will establish canvass reporting units to satisfy the requirement to report the Presidential Preference Primary Election results by each Congressional district as established in Act 44. Implementation of Ward Splits Caused by Acts 43 and 44Municipalities are required to split any ward its governing body adopted, if a Legislative or Congressional district line established in either Acts 43 or 44 bisects the ward. Pursuant to Wis. Stat. §5.15(4)(a) , these adjusted ward plans must be adopted by the municipal governing bodies in a resolution or ordinance no later than April 10, 2012. Within 5 days of adoption, the municipal clerk must transmit one copy of the resolution or ordinance to the county clerk of each county in which the municipality is contained. Staff believes there were approximately 100 ward splits that were required statewide; however, many municipalities have already adopted new ward plans to effectuate any required splits. In SVRS, these potential ward splits are designated by an “S” appearing after the number of the ward. The G.A.B. understands that municipal clerks already have many duties to complete redistricting tasks and prepare for the April 3, 2012 Spring Election at which the implementation of portions of the new Voter ID law will apply. Pursuant to Acts 23 and 75, late-arriving absentees and provisional ballots may be counted if received or information is provided up to 4 p.m. the Friday after each election. In addition, canvassing time lines have been altered by Act 115 and municipalities may first be completing their canvass of the Spring Election on April 9, 2012. In this busy time, municipalities for which split wards are required are reminded to ensure that their governing bodies have sufficient time to adopt an adjusted ward plan prior to the April 10, 2012 deadline. Conclusion and GuidanceWhile the G.A.B. will establish canvass reporting units to satisfy the requirement to report the Presidential Preference Primary Election results by each Congressional district as established in Act 44, there may be circumstances where a ward split caused by an Act 44 Congressional district boundary has not been implemented by a municipality in the form of an ordinance or resolution adopted by the governing body. Staff have been busily working to resolve redistricting incidents to ensure that the April 3, 2012 Spring Election runs as smoothly as possible. These tasks have consumed the staff assigned to the G.A.B. Redistricting Initiative. Any new ward plans adopted pursuant to Wis. Stat. §5.15(4)(a) to adjust prior ward plans for Legislative or Congressional district boundary splits may not be implemented in SVRS until after the April 3, 2012 Spring Election, unless SVRS implementation has already been approved by the G.A.B. In the past few weeks, several municipalities have had new ward plans adopted and implemented in SVRS. This process may likely resolve many Presidential Preference Primary Election reporting issues and also satisfy the requirement to adjust wards due to a Legislative or Congressional district boundary split. Probable split wards already exist in SVRS and municipalities may have prepared ballots and programmed voting systems incorporating those splits, even if an adjusted ward plan has not been adopted by the governing body. Substantial costs have been incurred associated with these election preparations. Therefore, the G.A.B. recommends that municipalities conduct the April 3, 2012 Spring Election and Presidential Primary Preference Election in the manner they have already planned. This will insure that the election can be conducted properly, canvass reporting functions will work correctly, and will avoid unreasonable additional election costs and elector confusion. If a municipality has not planned for a ward split and one is present in SVRS, please contact the G.A.B. so that the split can be assigned to the other section of the ward or vice versa. However, it may result in the attribution of some votes to a different Congressional district in the canvass reporting. This result is unavoidable in the context of the conflict between Wis. Stats. §§5.15(4)(a) and 8.12(3). If you have questions, please continue to report redistricting issues on our Incident Website, http://wisapps.wi.gov/sites/GAB/Incident/default.aspx, or contact the Help Desk at gabhelpdesk@wi.gov, or 608-261-2028. cc: Kevin J. Kennedy Ross Hein
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| Type A Notice for November 6, 2012 Election |
NOTICE OF ELECTIONThe Type A Notice of Election contains all the state and federal offices for the partisan primary on August 14, 2012, and the general election on November 6, 2012 and the notice of presidential election. The Type A Notice must be published by all county clerks on April 10, 2012. When a weekly newspaper is chosen for publication, the notice shall appear in the newspaper’s closest preceding issue. It is not necessary for each county to publish all the information contained in the enclosed Type A Notice. The notice published by each county clerk lists the information regarding the presidential election, all applicable congressional district offices for which an elector in the county may vote, all applicable legislative offices for which an elector in the county may vote, the office of district attorney for your county, and all county partisan offices within your respective county. The notice must also include the statement about circulation and filing of nomination papers. All county clerks are required to send the Type A Notice to each municipal clerk in their county no later than April 3, 2012. Municipal clerks are not required to publish the Type A Notice for the partisan primary and general election. Municipal clerks are required to certify to their county clerks the approximate number of electors in the municipality on June 1, 2012, to help the county clerks determine how many ballots to prepare for the fall election. Wis. Stats. § 5.66 (1). Please share this information with the municipal clerks in your county. BEGINNING OF TERMS OF OFFICE FOR FEDERAL AND STATE OFFICIALSIn the past, we have received inquiries about the January 3rd date for the beginning of federal terms. Article XX, Section 1 of the Amendments to the United States Constitution states: “The terms of Senators and Representatives end at noon on the 3rd day of January…and the terms of their successors shall then begin.” State office terms are different from federal terms. Article XIII, Section 1 of the Wisconsin Constitution states: “The political year for this state shall commence on the first Monday of January in each year, and the general election shall be held on the Tuesday next succeeding the first Monday of November in even-numbered years.” Therefore, the term of office for those state and county offices elected on November 6, 2012 will begin on January 7, 2013. COUNTY CANDIDATE CHECKLISTSCounty candidate checklists for ballot access (GABIS-16) and campaign finance (GABIS-17) requirements are available from the Government Accountability Board website at: http://gab.wi.gov/elections-voting/candidates/local/partisan These checklists were prepared to assist county candidates in qualifying for ballot placement and meeting their campaign finance requirements. You may reproduce these checklists to give to your candidates along with the proper forms: Campaign Registration Statement (GAB-1 Rev. 12/2009), Nomination Paper for Partisan Office (GAB-168 Rev. 09/2011), and Declaration of Candidacy (GAB-162 Rev. 7/2009), which can be found here http://gab.wi.gov/forms. Please ensure that you are providing the most recent version of these forms to your candidates. OTHER INFORMATION
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| Voter Registration Forms from Voter Participation Center |
Many clerks have received voter registration forms from the Voter Participation Center (VPC) or Women’s Voices, Women Vote (WVWV). We have received questions from municipal clerks with respect to disposition of these forms. Listed below are some common questions we have received from clerks regarding these forms and the answers we have provided. Q: This isn’t a Wisconsin Form. Can I accept it? A: The forms VPC and WVWV have used are the National Voter Registration Application. They must be accepted. Q: There isn’t an expiration date for the driver license. Can I still accept the form? A: Yes. The expiration date is not required by law. However, it is helpful in determining whether the voter needs to provide the last 4 digits of their SS #. Accept the form regardless of what identifying number (WI DL#, WI ID# or SS#) has been provided. Q: There isn’t a reference to 28-day residency. Can I still accept the form? A: Yes. The National Voter Registration Application is a universal form that can be used by all states. The voter must certify that he or she “meets the eligibility requirements” of their state.” It is the responsibility of the voter to know the eligibility requirements of their state. Q: I received these forms after the March 14, 2012 open registration deadline. Can I still accept them? A: If the ship date or postmark is on or before March 14, 2012, they are accepted as mailed registrations received timely. The forms are entered into SVRS so that the voter is registered for the next election. If there are registration forms from first-time Wisconsin voters, and proof of residence was not provided with the registration, when the application is entered into SVRS, “YES” should be selected from the “POR required” dropdown on the voter application screen so that the appropriate notation appears on the poll list warning election inspectors that they must see proof of residence before they can issue a ballot to this voter. If the ship date or postmark is after March 14, 2012, the forms cannot be entered into SVRS at this time and the voter is not registered for the next election. The forms may be entered after the next election so that the voter is registered for subsequent elections. If there are registration forms from first-time Wisconsin voters, and proof of residence was not provided with the registration, when the application is entered into SVRS, “YES” should be selected from the “POR required” dropdown on the voter application screen so that the appropriate notation appears on the poll list warning election inspectors that they must see proof of residence before they can issue a ballot to this voter. Q: Do I need to notify voters if the registration has been received too late/was incomplete and they will not be registered for the next election? A: Yes. Notify the voter that the registration form was received after the open registration cut off, or was incomplete, and that they are not registered for the next election. If they wish to vote in the next election, they will either have to come to your office before 5:00 p.m. on the Friday before the election to register, or come to the polling place and register on election day. In both cases, the voter will have to bring proof of residence. Please contact the G.A.B. customer center at (608) 261-2028 or gabhelpdesk@wi.gov if you have any questions. Thank you. cc: Kevin J. Kennedy Diane Lowe Ross Hein |
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| Expanded Hours of Operation Before, During and After the April 3, 2012 Spring Election |
For continuing our assistance to you, our local election partners, to prepare for the April 3, 2012 Spring Election and Presidential Preference Vote, we are expanding our office hours before, during and after the Spring Election. I am pleased to inform you that we are offering the following extended operating hours as part of our ongoing customer service to you: Week Leading up to the April 3 Spring Election
Week During the April 3 Spring Election
We encourage you to call our office early with your questions. Please contact our Help Desk at (608) 261-2028, or gabhelpdesk@wi.gov. We wish you and your voters a successful and problem-free Election Day. Thank you. cc: Kevin J. Kennedy |
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| GAB-190 Form for the April 3, 2012 Presidential Preference and Spring Election |
The Government Accountability Board has now posted the GAB-190 form for the April 3, 2012 Presidential Preference Vote and Spring Election on the G.A.B. website: http://gab.wi.gov/forms/gab-190-spring-election-2012 The GAB-190 form has gone through some changes in order to comply with recent Wisconsin Acts and legislative requests. Due to a growing interest from both the public and the legislature, the addition of the cost of statewide elections has been added to the GAB-190 form. Legislation such as Act 23, Act 75 and Act 115 require additional reporting requirements. Questions regarding the return of absentee ballots, a breakdown of why provisional ballots were cast, and other changes are now reflected on the GAB-190 form. Statutory Authority to Request Information: Wis. Stat. § 5.05(14). “Information from County and Municipal Clerks.” The board may request information from county and municipal clerks relating to election administration, performance of electronic voting systems and voting machines, and use of paper ballots in elections. Local election officials are required to provide information requested under § 5.05 (14) to the Board upon request. Wis. Stats. § 7.10 (10), 7.15 (13). Should you have questions, please do not hesitate to contact our Help Desk at gabhelpdesk@wi.gov, or (608) 261-2028. Thank you. cc: Kevin Kennedy Ross D. Hein |
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| Sample Ballots for Recall Primary/Election for the Offices of Governor, Lieutenant Governor and State Senator |
At this link http://gab.wi.gov/forms/ballots, you will find the following sample optical scan ballots:
Municipalities that use hand-count paper ballots will also use this ballot format. Likelihood of Primaries
Candidate CertificationWe will know for certain whether the parties have fielded more than one candidate for a particular office after the filing deadline on April 10, 2012. A “Candidates Registered for Election” report will be posted to the G.A.B. website as soon as possible after 5:00 p.m. on April 10. Certification of Candidates will be sent after 4:30 p.m. on Friday, April 13, 2012 when the deadline for challenges to nomination papers and the deadline for filing Statements of Economic Interests has passed. Ballot AppearanceRecall elections are to be conducted as individual election events. Even if more than one office is up for recall, they usually do not occur in the same locations on the same day. In the interest of consolidating the recall elections for two statewide offices and four state senate seats, the G.A.B. is expected to call the elections for the same day. However, even though all offices up for election will appear on the same ballot, each office is treated as an individual election just as if the recall election for each office were conducted on different days. Whether voting in a recall primary or in a recall election, the voter may only mark the ballot once for each office on the ballot. Party Preference and Straight PartySince each office is an individual election event, a voter may only cast one vote per office. Therefore, in the case of a primary, party preference is not required. Straight party has been eliminated as of the November 6, 2012 general election, it also only pertained to the fall partisan primary. Therefore no straight party section appears on any election ballot. If you have questions with respect to the memo or the ballots, please contact the Help Desk at |
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| Recommendations to Check Ballots for the April 3 Spring Election |
We are informed that some county clerks used new or different vendors for printing ballots for the April 3, 2012 Spring Election and Presidential Preference vote. Some of the problems include arrows on the ballots are not aligned with candidates and ballots that are oversized in that they do not fit voting machines. We are sharing this information with you to suggest that if you did or did not use a different print vendor, or if you have not tested your ballots on your voting systems, you are urged to do so immediately in order to determine as soon as possible if there are problems that should be addressed before next Tuesday’s Spring Election. A friendly reminder that Wisconsin statutes require the testing of voting system to be noticed at least 48 hours prior to the test and tested at least 10 days before the Election Day. It is recommended that as soon as you are provided your memory devices from your voting equipment programmer, to test as quickly as possible, in order to identify any potential anomalies. This recommendation is in addition to the statutory public test. As always, we appreciate your usual corporation. cc: Kevin J. Kennedy
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| GAB-190 Explanation |
Thanks to those of you who inquired about the reason as to why the request for election costs was incorporated into the GAB-190, the Election Voting and Registration Statistics Report. As you know -- as we normally do -- we would have sought clerks’ feedback on this matter but we simply ran out of time. For example, we were waiting to see if the SB-271 (deals with additional absentee balloting procedures) and SB-361 (deals with the elimination of SRDs in high school) would pass and be signed by the Governor, and if either had any impact on reporting requirements that affected the GAB-190. As you may also know, both these bills are now awaiting the Governor’s signature. By Monday of this week, we simply could not wait any longer to see if the Governor signed SB-271 and SB-361; we had to distribute the GAB-190. We regret we were unable to engage in our usual collaboration with clerks on this matter. Due to the fact that the revised GAB-190 form was distributed later than planned, indeed, we are sensitive to the fact that clerks did not have as much time as we would have liked for them to plan for providing these costs. As such, we will be flexible regarding the reporting of cost information for the April 3 Spring Election. Staff debated how, when and where to request information on the cost of statewide elections as well as how, when and where to request the additional reporting requirements mandated by Wisconsin Act 23, Act 75 and Act 115 (i.e. return of absentee ballots, a breakdown of why provisional ballots were cast, and other changes). A separate form was considered to be used for complying with Legislative actions and requests. Amending the GAB-190 was chosen because this Election Voting and Registration Statistics Report is specifically required by statute and therefore, was deemed to be the best “vehicle” for obtaining this information. As you may know, even though clerks are required to respond to requests received from the Government Accountability Board in accordance with Wis. Stats. § 5.05(14), § 7.10 (10), and Regarding our requests for information on absentee ballots for military and overseas voters that we solicited at the direction of the U. S. Department of Justice and now in response to a Federal Court Consent Decree, we are still having problems obtaining responses. Besides not hearing from many clerks about their absentee ballots for military and overseas voters, two other recent examples are the legislative requests for the estimated costs the 2011 Recall and Special Elections, and the estimated costs for a 2012 Recall Election. These were legislative requests but nevertheless, ignored by a large number of municipal clerks even after at least three follow-ups. It is more efficient and cost effective to record and report the cost data in a single report than in separate ones. In addition, the immense time and effort involved in tracking down that information have affected our confidence in the willingness of some municipal clerks to cooperate in providing requested information unless it is included in the GAB-190. Please note that the information on the Cost of Elections only needs to be provided just once for each statewide election -- for each municipality only – not for each Reporting Unit. As you are aware, all of us in election administration have had a lot of requirements imposed upon us in a compressed amount of time. We struggled with the best method for complying with new reporting requirements as the result of new laws (some last minute) and repeated legislative requests, which contributed to the delay in distributing the GAB-190 for the April 3 Spring Primary. Once again, we will be flexible regarding the reporting of cost information for the April 3 Spring Election. If you have questions on the cost of elections, please contact the Help Desk at cc: Kevin J. Kennedy Ross D. Hein |
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| 2012 Federal Consent Decree Regarding Wisconsin’s Compliance with the Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment (MOVE) Act |
Today, the federal court for the Western District of Wisconsin entered an order based upon the admitted failure of several municipalities across the state to transmit absentee ballots to military and overseas electors in a timely manner as required by federal law. The order is a consent decree reached by the U.S. Department of Justice and the Government Accountability Board, with the assistance of the Wisconsin Department of Justice. The approved court order is designed to ensure that military and overseas electors will have sufficient time to receive and transmit absentee ballots. The Government Accountability Board has been in discussions with the U.S. DOJ to reach an agreement that would satisfy its concerns and also create a solution that could be realistically achieved by state and local election officials. Please see that full memorandum and instructions, attached above. |
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| Amended Type A Notice of Recall Election for the Offices of Governor, Lt. Governor and Several State Senate Offices |
Amended to correct the counties listed in each Senate DistrictType A Notice of Recall Election For Governor, Lieutenant Governor and Four State Senate Districts (#13-Scott Fitzgerald, #21-Van Wanggaard, #23-Terry Moulton, #29-Pam Galloway)Dear County Clerks: The Type A Notice, which includes the offices of Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and four State Senate Districts, has been posted to the G.A.B. website under Clerks/Election Notices. http://gab.wi.gov/node/2297. A Certificate of Sufficiency pertaining to each recall election is posted on the G.A.B. website within the respective recall committee. http://gab.wi.gov/elections-voting/recall (You do not need to publish the Certificates of Sufficiency. The Type A Notice is the order issued by the Government Accountability Board, directing Recall Elections on May 8, 2012, for the offices of Governor and Lieutenant Governor, and for the office of State Senator. The offices of Governor and Lt. Governor will appear on the Type A Notice published by all counties. If your county is not in one of the four senate districts holding a recall election, omit all senate districts from your Type A Notice. If your county is in one of the four senate districts holding a recall election, omit the senate districts that do not apply to your county.
The Type A Notice must be published as soon as possible. Please notify the municipal clerks in your county of the recall election order.
The first day for circulating nomination papers for this office is today, March 30, 2012. The deadline for filing nomination papers is 5:00 p.m., on Tuesday, April 10, 2012, in the office of the Government Accountability Board.
If you have questions or comments, please contact the G.A.B. Help Desk at (608) 261-2028, or via email at GABhelpdesk@wi.gov.
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| Provisional Tracking System Instructions |
Many clerks have asked about updated instructions for the Provisional Tracking System. An updated versions of the instructions that include the new No Provisional features is now available. The updated instructions and Canvass and Provisional Webinar can be found at the following link.
If you have questions with respect to the memo or the ballots, please contact the Help Desk at |
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| REMINDER: Requirement for Municipal Clerks to be Available to through 4:00 p.m. Friday, April 6, 2012 (Good Friday). |
2011 Act 23, which was enacted by the Wisconsin State Legislature, requires clerks to be available to accept proof of residence (first time WI voters who registered by mail) and driver license numbers (election day voters who could not provide the DL number) from provisional voters so that their ballot may be counted, and to receive mailed late-arriving absentee ballots postmarked by Election Day beginning Wednesday, April 4 thru 4:00 p.m. on Friday, April 6, 2012. Friday April 6 is Good Friday. The Act does not make an exception for Good Friday; the 4:00 p.m. deadline must be enforced on Good Friday. Thank you.
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| Updated Election Events Calendar Now Available |
The Government Accountability Board has recently updated its consolidated calendar of election administration events for local election officials to use to plan for the coming year. Many of you have come to rely on this calendar as your definitive source for election information and deadlines. This useful calendar is available in multiple formats including Adobe Acrobat, Microsoft Word, and Microsoft Excel for your convenience. Instructions are available for importing the Excel spreadsheet into different versions of Microsoft Outlook’s Calendar. The calendar is available here: http://gab.wi.gov/publications/2011-2012-election-events-calendar. You may call our Help Desk at (608) 261-2028, or email the Help Desk at GABHelpDesk@wi.gov if you have questions or need further assistance. Thank you. cc: Kevin J. Kennedy Director and General Counsel Government Accountability Board |
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| Additional Information about the GAB-190 |
Once again, thanks to those who contacted us regarding the GAB-190 form. On March 26, 2012, the GAB-190 was amended to comply with changes in Wisconsin laws, legislative requests and to address increasing public and interest. It is our long-established practice to involve and include clerks’ advice and counsel whenever developing policies and procedures that affect clerks’ “election lives.” As you know, we have established ad-hoc clerk advisory committees; we have offered online surveys, teleconference calls, WisLine calls and webinars in order to solicit clerks’ feedback. In addition, we regularly meet with the two clerks associations, i.e. the Wisconsin Municipal Clerks Association and its District members as well as the Wisconsin County Clerks Association, during which time we always ask for suggestions and recommendations on ways in which we (G.A.B. staff) can improve and be an even more effective partner. It is Director Kennedy’s and my commitment to continue the practice of ensuring clerks’ involvement and inclusion in the election administration policy-making process. Regarding the cost of elections data added to the GAB-190, regrettably, we literally ran out of time and did not have the opportunity to request clerks’ feedback. We were waiting to see if the SB-271 (deals with additional absentee balloting procedures) and SB-386 (deals with the elimination of SRDs in high school) would pass and be signed by the Governor, and if either of these bills/laws would have any impact on reporting requirements that affected the GAB-190. By Monday, March 26, we simply could not wait any longer to see if the Governor signed SB-271 and SB-386; we had to distribute the GAB-190. It is unfortunate that we were unable to engage in our usual conversations and collaboration with clerks on this matter. Due to the fact that the revised GAB-190 Form was distributed later than planned, indeed, we are sensitive to the fact that clerks did not have as much time as we would have liked for them to plan for providing these costs. As such, we will be flexible regarding the reporting of cost information for the April 3 Spring Election. Please note the following:
It is important for us to reiterate that our evaluation of this GAB-190 process will be dynamic and ongoing. As we move forward, and in accordance with our usual best practice of including and involving clerks, clerks’ feedback will be solicited on how all information on the GAB-190 may be improved. We will also provide summary information to clerks in a timely and user-friendly format that will help clerks educate their respective local governing boards and the public about the actual costs of running elections. Finally, I am pleased to introduce a new G.A.B. staff member whose primary responsibility will be to manage all election statistics and voter participation data for the Government Accountability Board. His name is Brian Bell. Effective immediately, Brian should be contacted for all matters relating to the GAB-190, WEDCS and related election statistics and voter participation data. He may be reached at (608) 261-2011, or brian.bell@wisconsin.gov. Once again, thank you for your comments, understanding and patience. We appreciate your cooperation in this matter. cc: Kevin J. Kennedy Ross D. Hein Brian M. Bell |
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| Preparing for the May 8, 2012 Special Recall Primary |
Yesterday, April 10, 2012 was the deadline for candidates for Governor, Lt. Governor and State Senate (Districts 13, 21, 23 and 29) to file the required Campaign Registration Statement, Declaration of Candidacy and the required number of Nomination Petitions. The deadline for filing the Statement of Economic Interest is 4:30 p.m. Friday, April 13th. The deadline for filing challenges to nomination petitions is 4:30 p.m. Friday, and the deadline for filing response to any challenge is 4:30 on the third day after challenges are filed. Ballot PreparationAttached to this communication you will find the unofficial certification for candidates, including ballot order. Please note, one candidate, Ira Robins currently has insufficient nomination petitions, but has strongly indicated his intent to rehabilitate enough signatures by the Friday deadline to gain ballot access. If Mr. Robins fails to accomplish this, his name will be removed and we will communicate this to you. It is all but certain that there will be a primary for each of the offices subject to recount, with the General election taking place on June 5, 2012. Please note that official ballots may not be printed nor distributed until the official certification is issued by the Government Accountability Board. Providing the unofficial certification and ballot order will allow you to prepare your ballots and submit them to the G.A.B. for review. Sample ballots are available at the following link: http://gab.wi.gov/forms/ballots. The primary ballot and voting equipment will need to be prepared to treat each of the recall offices separately. This election will not be set-up like a normal partisan primary. Only candidates within a party that faces opposition will show up on the primary ballot. Candidates within a party that does not have opposition will not appear on the primary ballot. Additionally, Independent candidates will not appear on the primary ballot. Ballots and voting equipment will not have a party preference, as this primary will allow a voter to vote for only one candidate for each office, regardless of partisan affiliation. For example, a voter can vote for a Republican Governor candidate, and a Democratic Lt. Governor candidate. Although all offices will appear on one ballot, each office is separate and there are no partisan restrictions. G.A.B. CertificationThe G.A.B. has been informed that challenges are likely to be filed by the Friday deadline. Because responses will not be due until Monday afternoon, this will delay final certification. The Board has scheduled a meeting for Tuesday, April 17th at 9:00 a.m. to address the expected challenges. At minimum, the challenges are likely to be filed by the Democratic Party for some candidates based upon their registered partisan affiliation. These challenges will complicate the April 17th statutory deadline which requires municipal clerks to have absentee ballots available for voters that requested them by mail (only military electors may receive ballots electronically for the recall elections). Absentee TimelineAs soon as the G.A.B. issues the certification on April 17th, staff will immediately communicate with county clerks. Once the certification is issued, municipalities must have “paper” ballots available on the 17th to send to voters that may require additional time to return their absentee ballot. To accomplish this, county clerks will provide a ballot proof to the municipal clerks so they can use that as a paper ballot. A “paper” ballot should be sent to voters that are in the military, temporarily overseas voters, or voters that reside in a different state. These ballots would then need to be either remade or hand-counted on Election Day. If the official ballots are not available for in-person absentee voting beginning on April 23rd, paper ballots should be provided to absentee voters upon request. Voting Equipment Memory DevicesMemory devices used for the April 3rd Spring Election and Presidential Preference may be cleared 21 days after the election, § 7.23 Wis. Stats. For additional information on retention requirements, please see the June 9, 2010 communication, available at the following link: http://gab.wi.gov/node/1126. Write-In Votes for Scott Walker on the Democratic Primary BallotThe G.A.B. has received inquiries regarding voters who write in the name of Scott Walker for Governor on the Democratic primary ballot. Pursuant to Wis. Stats. Sections 7.50(2)(g) and (h), and 8.03, any write-in vote for Scott Walker on the Democratic Party primary ballot for Governor shall not be counted, regardless of whether or not there is a Republican Party primary for that office. Statewide Voter Registration SystemAlso attached to this memorandum are SVRS Checklist I and SVRS Checklist II for the 2012 May 8 Recall Primary. The May 8th Recall Primary election is available to be inherited in SVRS. When inheriting your election be sure that you are selecting the Polling Place Assignment Plan and Reporting Unit Plan that will be used for this election. Your PPAP & RUP should also match the programming of your electronic voting equipment. Having the assigned PPAP, assigned RUP and the voting equipment programing match each other, will enable you to avoid many problems with reporting your election results after the election. The G.A.B. will check milestone #3 in SVRS following certification by the Board. Once the County checks Milestone #3, municipalities may begin preparations in SVRS to issue and track absentee ballots. See checklist and manuals for further details. The G.A.B. also encourages all municipalities to review their voter data in SVRS prior to the election including Address exceptions, Geo-Code exceptions and voters with no district combo. If you have any questions or need further assistance, please contact us at GABHelpDesk@wi.gov or (608) 261-2028. Thank you. cc: Kevin J. Kennedy Diane Lowe |
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| Certification of Candidates for May 8, 2012 Recall Primary, PENDING CHALLENGES |
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| GAB-190 Amended Help Guide |
The Government Accountability Board has posted an amended Help Guide to help Municipal and County Clerks complete the GAB-190 form.
cc: Kevin J. Kennedy Brian M. Bell |
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| GAB-190 form required for the May 8, 2012 Recall Primary Election |
The GAB-190 form required for the May 8, 2012 Recall Primary Election is now available on our website (http://gab.wi.gov/forms/gab-190-recall-primary-2012). There were no substantial changes or additions to the GAB-190 form from the version used for the April 3, 2012 Election. The GAB-190 Help Guide is available with both a fillable version and non-fillable version of the GAB-190 form. If you have questions, please contact the G.A.B. Help Desk at (608) 261-2028, or at gabhelpdesk@wi.gov. Thank you. |
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| Pronunciation Guide for 5.8.12 Recall Primary |
If you program your own accessible voting equipment, please use the attached guide for programming the audio. If your equipment vendor programs your accessible equipment, the pronunciation guide has been sent to ES&S, Command Central and Dominion. If there are questions, please contact the Help Desk and 608-261-2028 or gab@wi.gov. Thank you
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| Wisconsin Acts 227 and 240 - Absentee Voting Changes and Elimination of High School SRD Requirement |
I am writing to share information about Wisconsin Acts 227 and 240 and guidance for implementation. To assist clerks with understanding and implementing these new requirements, G.A.B. staff will be hosting a webinar on Tuesday, April 24, from 1-2:30 p.m. to help clerks prepare for these changes. Space is limited to 500 participants. We ask that you place the webinar date in your calendar.
Act 227 (Senate Bill 271) makes several changes to elections law relating to the return of absentee ballots to voters by clerks, voting by absentee and in person at the same election, submitting proof of identification with an absentee ballot application by fax or email, and providing an original form (no copy) of proof of identification for a provisional ballot. (Please Note: Photo ID requirements in Act 23 are currently enjoined and not in effect for elections). Act 240 (Senate Bill 386) eliminates the requirement for a clerk to appoint a special registration deputy (SRD) at public high schools, private schools, or tribal schools. Clerks may continue this practice at their discretion. In anticipation of the Acts’ passage, Government Accountability Board (G.A.B.) staff created administrative procedures for keeping track of the status of absentee ballots, absentee voters in polling places, and requests for replacement absentee ballots and absentee ballot envelopes. The G.A.B. will also be updating forms as necessary. Once again, we extend to you, our hardworking Municipal and County Clerks, our hearty thanks for your diligence and patience during these difficult times. We have all experienced the enactment of new state legislation affecting election administration. These fundamental changes have already caused, and will continue to cause, increased responsibilities for all of us. The significance of these legislative changes have strained your and our limited resources and resulted in more frequent communications from the G.A.B., revised or created new procedures, revised forms, revised manuals, new training, teleconferences, and webinars in an effort to support all of us. We all proudly share an honorable profession -- the administration of elections in a fair and transparent manner with the highest degree of great pride and integrity. The policy makers have spoken. We need to, and we will continue to work together as a committed and dedicated team to carry out our additional and new responsibilities in the same professional manner that we always have. We stand with you and continue to steadfastly honor our mission to support you. If you have questions regarding Acts 227 and 240, please contact our Help Desk at (608) 261-2028, or by email at gabhelpdesk@wi.gov. Thank you. cc: Kevin J. Kennedy Ross D. Hein
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| G.A.B. Expanded Hours of Operation Before, During and After the May 8, 2012 Recall Primary |
For continuing our assistance to you, our local election partners, to prepare for the May 8, 2012 Recall Primary, we are expanding our office hours before, during and after the Recall Primary. I am pleased to inform you that we are offering the following extended operating hours as part of our ongoing customer service to you: Week Leading up to the May 8 Recall Primary
Week During the May 8 Recall Primary
We encourage you to call our office early with your questions. Please contact our Help Desk at (608) 261-2028, or gabhelpdesk@wi.gov. We wish you and your voters a successful and problem-free Election Day. Thank you. cc: Kevin J. Kennedy |
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| Video Available: Webinar on Legislative Changes to Absentee Voting and High School SRD Requirements in Acts 227 and 240 |
The video of the webinar, "Legislative Changes to Absentee Voting and High School SRD Requirements in Acts 227 and 240," has been posted to the Webinars page of the G.A.B. website. Thank you! |
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| Recall Senate Districts - Assisting Voters at the Polling Place |
With the May 8, 2012 Recall Primary fast approaching, we would like to provide clerks tips and suggestions that they can share with their Election Inspectors to help answer voter questions at the polls regarding which offices they are eligible to vote for. Voter Questions Regarding Recall Senate DistrictsWe understand that some voters will have questions on whether they are within or outside of a Recall Senate District. While all voters in the state can vote for Governor and Lieutenant Governor, only those voters that currently reside within one of the Recall Senate Districts can vote in a Recall Senate Election. If your municipality is wholly within or wholly outside of a Recall Senate District, these questions will be easier to answer. For municipalities that are partially within and partially outside of one or more Recall Senate Districts, the answer may be a bit more complex. The following circumstances impacted how voters were assigned to the Recall Senate Districts and may be helpful when answering voter questions regarding their district assignments:
Municipalities Both In and Out of a Recall Senate DistrictFor the seventeen municipalities partially within and partially outside of the Recall Senate Districts, special materials were provided to help verify voters’ district assignments. These materials will also be very helpful to your Election Inspectors, particularly for Election Day Registrants. We strongly recommend that you provide each of your polling places with the following materials:
Election PreparednessAll clerks who are self-providers and providers on behalf of reliers are strongly encouraged to check their data quality in SVRS prior to printing poll books in order to ensure the most updated and accurate district assignments for all voters. To prepare for the Recall Primary, please consider the following helps, hints, and tools:
We understand the workload and time constraints all clerks are working under for these Recall Elections, and we appreciate the effort and integrity that you have all put forward during this challenging period. If you have questions, please do not hesitate to contact the G.A.B. Help Desk at gabhelpdesk@wi.gov, or 608-261-2028. Thank you. cc: Kevin J. Kennedy Ross D. Hein |
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| GAB-190 Form for the May 8, 2012 Recall Primary Election - Date Due: Thursday, June 7, 2012 |
The Government Accountability Board has now posted the GAB-190 form for the May 8, 2012 Recall Primary Election on the G.A.B. website. The GAB-190 and Help Guide can be found at http://gab.wi.gov/forms/gab-190-recall-primary-2012. The Help Guide contains useful guidance on how to provide the most accurate information for each line item. Note that there are no changes to the GAB-190 from the version used for the April 3, 2012 Spring Election. The GAB-190 is available with both a fillable and non-fillable version at the website address listed above. By statute, the information on the GAB-190 form is required to be entered into the WEDC System with 30 days of the Recall Primary, or by June 7, 2012. Statutory Authority to Request Information: Wis. Stat. § 5.05(14). “Information from County and Municipal Clerks.” The board may request information from county and municipal clerks relating to election administration, performance of electronic voting systems and voting machines, and use of paper ballots in elections. Local election officials are required to provide information requested under § 5.05 (14) to the Board upon request. Wis. Stats. § 7.10 (10), 7.15 (13). Should you have questions, please do not hesitate to contact our Help Desk at gabhelpdesk@wi.gov, or (608) 261-2028. Thank you.
cc: Kevin J. Kennedy Ross D. Hein Brian Bell |
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| Important Reminders for Successful May 8 2012 Primary Election - UPDATED |
In order to assist election officials with preparing for the May 8, 2012 Recall Primary, the G.A.B. has created two important documents that clerks and election inspectors need to review. The first document identifies the most likely areas that could create confusion in the primary election, and identifies some of recent changes to election administration. The second document covers counting votes at the Recall Primary. It has been updated since it was originally posted on May 1, so please save the updated version. If you have any questions regarding this communication, please contact the G.A.B. HelpDesk at (608) 261-2028 or gabhelpdesk@wi.gov. Thank you |
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| Launch of the G.A.B. Facebook Page |
On Tuesday, April 24, 2012, the G.A.B. launched a Facebook Page, which can be found at the following URL: facebook.com/WisconsinGovernmentAccountabilityBoard. On Friday, May 4, 2012, the G.A.B. will be launching a Twitter feed, which can be found at: https://twitter.com/Wisconsin_GAB. The G.A.B. is also developing a mobile application that voters can use to quickly access election information on their smart phones. We will send you more information on this tool once it is available. The G.A.B. Facebook and Twitter accounts were created to expand voter outreach services by offering an additional format for our customers and partners to find important up-to-date information about the G.A.B. Facebook and Twitter give voters another way to keep up with news about elections and government ethics in Wisconsin. We are delighted to be able to offer these new tools and customer service to the voters of Wisconsin. Before we started our Facebook page and Twitter feed, we sought advice from the Wisconsin Department of Justice and Department of Administration, as well as the U.S. Election Assistance Commission. Through consultations with these agencies, we were able to develop plans to address the challenges that these agencies faced when venturing into social media. We will be updating Facebook and Twitter regularly with informative posts on elections, ethics and other programs the Board administers. We encourage you to “Like” and “Follow” the Wisconsin Government Accountability Board on Facebook and Twitter and share the information you find there. We also ask you to help us “spread the word” about the new customer service tools we are now offering to all voters. cc: Kevin J. Kennedy Meagan McCord Wolfe |
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| Date of Birth Requirement on Absentee Certificate Envelope for Military and Overseas Electors |
Military and overseas electors are required to provide their date of birth on their absentee certificate envelopes in order for their absentee ballot to be counted. If the certificate envelope is missing the military or overseas voter’s date of birth, the ballot is to be rejected. This requirement is not new. However, we have been receiving questions regarding this matter and would like to provide some guidance on this issue to assist you and your military and overseas electors. Although this information is required, municipal clerks may gather the date of birth information from other limited sources and may update the certificate envelope so the military or overseas elector’s absentee ballot may be counted. If a military or overseas elector’s absentee certificate envelope is missing his or her date of birth:
If the date of birth cannot be obtained, the clerk treats that absentee certificate envelope as an incomplete certificate envelope and the voter has until 8:00 pm on Election Day to correct the envelope by providing his or her date of birth in person or by providing it the municipal clerk for the municipal clerk to update. If the elector does not provide the date of birth by 8:00 pm on Election Day election inspectors should reject the absentee ballot. Some military and overseas electors’ absentee ballots may arrive after Election Day but before 4:00 pm on the Friday following the election. If any of these military and overseas absentee certificate envelopes are missing a date of birth, the certificate cannot be corrected. The absentee ballot must be rejected by the Municipal Board of Canvassers when they convene to tally late-arriving absentee ballots and provisional ballots. If you have questions, please contact our Help Desk at (608) 261-2028, or by email at gabhelpdesk@wi.gov. Thank you.
cc: Kevin J. Kennedy Ross D. Hein Diane Lowe Shane Falk
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| Condensed Time-Frame between Certification of Recall Primary and Date Recall Election Ballots are due to be Available |
As you are all well aware, the condensed timing between the recall primary and recall election makes adherence to the statutory dates governing absentee ballot availability impossible to achieve. However, we must make a concerted effort to have ballots available as soon as we possibly can. Recall Primary – May 8, 2012 Unless races are very close, the unofficial election-night results will provide the names of expected winners. On Wednesday morning, May 9, you will receive an unofficial list of names in ballot order. You may immediately provide the winning names to your ballot preparer, but may not print until the election is officially certified. If the results are not close, G.A.B. will check Milestones 3 and 4 so that you may begin printing absentee labels. Checklist II for the 2012 June 5 Recall Election will be distributed to clerks when Milestone 3 has been checked at the state level. Municipal Canvass Unless municipal referenda are also on this ballot, the Municipal Board of Canvassers (MBOC) does not have municipal canvass duties for the primary. However, if provisional ballots are issued at the primary and/or if there are outstanding absentee ballots, the MBOC must meet after 4:00 p.m. on the Friday after the election (May 11th), (or following receipt of the last outstanding absentee ballot or missing provisional information) to tally the late-arriving absentee ballots and provisional ballots. The MBOC statutorily has until 9:00 a.m. on Monday, May 14th to convene. However, we strongly encourage the MBOC to meet on the evening of Friday, May 11th to complete this task so that the municipal clerk can expedite delivery of the tally sheets, inspectors’ statements, ballots, Provisional Ballot Reporting Form, and absentee ballot log to the county clerk. County Canvass Tuesday May 15th is the deadline for:
We encourage county clerks to canvass Monday morning, May 14th so that electronic canvass copies can be delivered to the G.A.B. on Monday evening. Provided all canvasses are electronically sent to G.A.B. on Monday, May 14th, the deadline for petitioning for a recount would be Thursday, May 17th. If no recount petition is submitted, the G.A.B. will certify after 5:00 p.m. on May 17. As soon as the certification is issued, ballots may be printed.
Municipal Clerks These “substitute” ballots must be sent immediately (Friday, May 18th) to military voters with requests on file (ballots are sent by fax or email to military voters, if so requested) and also mailed to voters who are temporarily out of state. Monday, May 21st is the first day for in-person voting in the clerk’s office. If you have not received your printed ballots by that day, please send substitute ballots to all voters with requests on file until the printed ballots are received. Substitute ballots will either have to be hand counted or remade in order to be put through electronic voting equipment. Remember — Detachable recording devices (memory cards, prom paks, etc.) must not be cleared for 14 days after the primary and no sooner than 21 days after an election. Once these time periods have passed, data contained on the devices may need to be transferred pursuant to § 7.23 Wis. Stats. For additional information regarding retention requirements, please see the communication available at the following link: http://gab.wi.gov/node/1126 Fourteen days after May 8th is May 22nd. If you wish to reuse the memory devices for the June recall election, you will have thirteen days for programming and testing. If you have questions or comments with respect to these timelines, please contact the Help Desk at gabhelpdesk@wi.gov or 608-261-2028. Thank you. cc: Kevin J. Kennedy Ross D. Hein |
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| SVRS 2012 May 8 Recall Primary Checklist III |
The SVRS Checklist #3 for the May 8 Recall Primary has been posted to the G.A.B. website as an attachment to this memorandum (see above). Clerks must post the number of outstanding absentee ballots and number of provisional ballots on the internet and in their office after the close of polls on Election Day. Clerks must log all provisional ballots in the new Provisional Ballot Tracking System on Election Night. Instructions on this system can be found by following the link in the checklist. If you have questions on post-election activities in SVRS, please contact the Help Desk at 608-261-2028, or by email at gabhelpdesk@wi.gov. Thank you.
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| Unofficial List of Candidates and Ballot Formatting for June 5, 2012 Recall Election |
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| Pronunciation Guide for June 5 Recall Election |
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| GAB-190 Form for the June 5, 2012 Recall Election - Statutory Date Due: Thursday, July 5, 2012 |
The GAB-190 Form for the June 5, 2012, Recall Election is now posted on the Government Accountability Board’s (G.A.B.) website. The GAB-190 and Help Guide can be found at http://gab.wi.gov/forms/gab-190-recall-election-2012. The Help Guide contains useful guidance on how to provide the most accurate information for each line item. Note that there are no changes to the GAB-190 from the version used for the April 3, 2012 Spring Election, or the May 8, 2012 Recall Primary Election. The GAB-190 is available with both a fillable and non-fillable version at the website address listed above. By statute, the information on the GAB-190 form is required to be entered into the Wisconsin Election Data Collection System (WEDCS) within 30 days of the Recall Primary, or by July 5, 2012. Special Note: Please do not mail a paper copy of your GAB-190’s to the Wisconsin Accountability Board. Instead, please enter the GAB-190 information into WEDCS. A Friendly Reminder: The information on the Cost of Elections only needs to be provided once for each municipality only – not for each Reporting Unit. Statutory Authority to Request Information: Wis. Stat. § 5.05(14). “Information from County and Municipal Clerks.” The board may request information from county and municipal clerks relating to election administration, performance of electronic voting systems and voting machines, and use of paper ballots in elections. Local election officials are required to provide information requested under § 5.05 (14) to the Board upon request. Wis. Stats. § 7.10 (10), 7.15 (13). Should you have questions, please do not hesitate to contact our Help Desk at gabhelpdesk@wi.gov, or (608) 261-2028. Thank you. |
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| Warning Regarding Issuing Recall Election Ballots Prematurely |
• The recall primary has not been certified. Ballots may not be issued to any voters yet! • Explanation of recall time frames • Anticipated date of certification and instructions to clerks. • Watch G.A.B. Website, Recent Clerk Communications, for certification. Keep in contact with county clerk.
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| Recall Primary Certification and Ballot Readiness |
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| Certification of Candidates for June 5, 2012 Recall Election |
The G.A.B. has certified the recall primary today as of 5 p.m. The ballot order for the June 5, 2012 recall election remains the same as indicated in the May 9, 2012 communication entitled “Unofficial List of Candidates and Ballot Formatting for June 5, 2012 Recall Election.” http://gab.wi.gov/node/2356 All county clerks MUST provide a ballot proof to all municipal clerks in their county no later than 8:00 a.m. on Monday, May 21, 2012. On May 21, 2012, all municipal clerks MUST provide ballots to all absentee voters with a request on file, and must honor all subsequent requests immediately, whether by mail or in person. If you do not have printed ballots by 8:00 a.m. on May 21st, you MUST provide voters with substitute ballots (a copy of the ballot proof sent by the county) until the printed ballots are received. Please do not disenfranchise voters because you don’t have printed ballots. Please see the attached.
· County Certifications · Independent Certification · Ballot Order · Type B Notice is posted here: http://gab.wi.gov/publications/election-notices/type-b-recall-general
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| Destruction of 2008 General Election records |
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| Revised Central Count Absentee Guideline and Procedure Review Process |
Action Requested by Tuesday, May 29, 2012.Immediately following this Memorandum, please find the revised Central Count Absentee Guideline, which was adopted by the Government Accountability Board at its meeting on May 15, 2012. At the Board’s May 15, 2012 meeting, the Board considered revised procedures for Central Count Absentee taking into account changes due to recent legislation affecting absentee voting as prescribed in 2011 Wisconsin Act 227. Act 227 prohibits a voter from mailing or personally delivering an absentee ballot and voting in person at the same election on Election Day. Act 227 also affects the return of absentee ballots to voters once mailed or personally delivered, except for damaged or spoiled ballots or envelopes with incomplete or no certificates. These new statutory requirements impact the procedures for processing absentee ballots at polling places and central count locations, which required the revision of the Central Count Absentee Guideline. At the Board’s August, September, and December 2011 meetings, the Board considered previous recommended procedures for Central Count Absentee and those practices in place in various jurisdictions. In addition, the Board considered comments submitted by many clerks regarding effective Central Count Absentee procedures and limitations of the current enabling statutes. Ultimately and in the current context of the relatively recent activities of the Joint Committee for Review of Administrative Rules, the Board adopted a guideline with stricter adherence to the statutory provisions prescribing the Central Count Absentee procedures. Most notably, this revised Central Count Absentee Guideline sets forth Election Day polling place procedures that implement Act 227’s new prohibition of voting in person after having submitted an absentee ballot. This revised Central Count Guideline also reaffirms the statutory election night reconciliation of the central count poll list (or absentee log) with polling place poll lists. After any Central Count Absentee canvass is completed, the Board of Canvassers shall reconcile the poll list (or absentee log) of the electors who vote by absentee ballot with the corresponding poll list of electors who vote in-person to ensure that no elector is allowed to cast more than one ballot. Wis. Stat. §7.53(1) and (2)(d). If an elector who votes in-person has submitted an absentee ballot, the absentee ballot is void. Id. In addition, the Board directed staff to notify all clerks, but specifically clerks for municipalities with existing or contemplated Central Count Absentee, of the revised Central Count Absentee Guideline and the Board’s direction that clerks conform their Central Count Absentee conduct to the law. For those clerks in municipalities with, or contemplating, Central Count Absentee, please forward copies of your enabling ordinances and any written procedures for Central Count Absentee for review by Board staff to ensure compliance with the Central Count Absentee Guideline and statutes. Direct your emails to Nadya Perez-Reyes, Election Specialist, at Nadya.PerezReyes@wi.gov. Please complete this submission no later than Tuesday, May 29, 2012. Please note that the Board also directed staff to incorporate more information regarding Central Count Absentee processes in the Election Day Manual and training, as well as develop recommendations for statutory revisions for consideration by the Board. This work continues at the G.A.B.; however, the Legislature’s recent adoption of Act 227 which affects the absentee voting process as a whole, has delayed the G.A.B.’s statutory review and legislative recommendation process. For background on the revised Central Count Absentee Guideline, please see the Memorandum to the Board dated May 15, 2012 and attachments, which can be found on the G.A.B. website in the May 15, 2012 Board Meeting Materials. For even more background on the development of the original Central Count Absentee Guideline, please see the Memorandum to the Board dated December 13, 2011 and attachments, which can be found on the G.A.B. website in the December 13, 2011 Board Meeting Materials at pages 34-51: http://gab.wi.gov/about/meetings/2011/december. If you have any further questions or concerns, please contact Nadya Perez-Reyes, Election Specialist, at 608-267-0714 or Nadya.PerezReyes@wi.gov. Thank you. cc: Kevin J. Kennedy Shane W. Falk Ross D. Hein |
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| G.A.B. Expanded Hours of Operation Before, During and After the June 5, 2012 Recall General Election |
For continuing our assistance to you, our local election partners, to prepare for the June 5, 2012 Recall General Election, we are expanding our office hours before, during and after the Recall Election. I am pleased to inform you that we are offering the following extended operating hours as part of our ongoing customer service to you: Week Leading up to the June 5 Recall Election
Week During the June 5 Recall Election
We encourage you to call our office early with your questions. Please contact our Help Desk at (608) 261-2028, or gabhelpdesk@wi.gov. We wish you and your voters a successful and problem-free Election Day. Thank you. cc: Kevin J. Kennedy
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| Student Proof of Residence -- Certified Housing Lists & Enrollment Verification Forms |
SummaryThe Government Accountability Board has received a number of inquiries regarding student housing lists that may be used as proof of residence for voter registration when accompanied by a student photo identification card. Specifically, questions have been raised as to the requirement that, to be used for proof of residence, a student housing list must certify that individual students are U.S. citizens, as well as the form that such certification must take. This memorandum documents that, if provided by a university or college, a housing list must indicate that all students listed are U.S. citizens. The educational institution is responsible for complying with federal privacy statutes. If no certification regarding citizenship is included, the housing list may not be used to accompany a student ID to establish residency. However, any document issued by a public university, college, or technical college which contains the student’s name and current address may be presented by a student and used as proof of residence, even without being accompanied by a student ID card. Certified Housing Lists and Citizenship CertificationWis. Stat. section 6.34(3) lists a number of identifying documents that may be used to establish proof of residence for an elector registering during the late registration period, at the polling place, or as a hospitalized elector. One of the allowable identifying documents is a university, college, or technical college identification card containing a photograph of the cardholder if the institution issuing the card provides “a certified and current list of students who reside in housing sponsored by the university, college, or technical college and who are U.S. citizens to the municipal clerk prior to the election showing the current address of the students…” Wis. Stat. §6.34(3)(a)7.b. Another allowable form of proof of residence for these voters is a “document issued by a unit of government.” Wis. Stat. §6.34(3)(a)11. A federal law, the Family Educational and Privacy Rights Act (FERPA), restricts the disclosure of student citizenship status by most educational institutions. Universities and colleges covered by FERPA may disclose whether a student is a U.S. citizen only with the student’s prior written consent. Only students who provide valid written consent may be included on the certified housing list provided to the municipal clerk. A blanket statement that all students on a housing list are U.S. citizens cannot be used without the written consent of each student on the list. Complying with FERPA is the responsibility of the educational institution, and clerks should rely on a student housing list as proof of residence if it includes the citizenship certification by the educational institution. Given the time and effort required to obtain individual written consent from students, however, some universities and colleges may decline to continue providing certified housing lists. If a housing list is provided, the certification regarding citizenship may be included on the list or in separate correspondence, but the certification must accompany the list at the polling place. If no certification is included with the housing list, then that list may not be used as proof of residence for purposes of voter registration and should not be forwarded by the municipal clerk to the polling place. Clerks receiving a housing list that lacks the required certification regarding citizenship should notify the university or college that it will not be used at the polling place. Other Documents from Public InstitutionsCollege students may also use one of the alternative forms of proof of residence listed in Wis. Stat. §6.34(3)(a). One of the allowable proof of residence forms for students in the University of Wisconsin System or Wisconsin Technical College System (WTCS) is a document issued by the institution, containing the student’s name and address, because those schools are considered to be a unit of government pursuant to Wis. Stat. §6.34(3)(a)11. Schools in the UW System or WTCS may issue a variety of documents to students that include the student’s name and current address, which may be used as proof of residence for students registering during the late registration period or on Election Day. However, that document must be presented by the student when registering. Students at public universities and colleges may not simply rely on the institution providing to the clerk a housing list which does not contain the citizenship certification. The Board has specifically approved documents submitted by universities and colleges as a form of proof of residence. The attached sample Enrollment Verification form is an example of a document that must be accepted as proof of residence even when it is not accompanied by a student identification card. It is a document issued by the institution as a unit of government. The fact that a student may self-report and change the address information on the document and print it out from a school website does not change the conclusion that the document is one issued by a unit of government that is an acceptable form of proof of residence. The UW System has implemented several safeguards to discourage and prevent students from falsifying an address into the database which generates the Enrollment Verification form. The address for student living in campus housing is automatically uploaded into the enrollment verification and University mailings are sent to that address. Students may change their address in the database but falsifying an address may subject the student to penalties under the University’s administrative code as well as voter fraud statutes. Individuals with questions regarding the information contained in this document may contact Elections Specialist Nadya Perez-Reyes at 608-267-0714 or nadya.perezreyes@wisconsin.gov. Media inquiries should be directed to Reid Magney at 608-267-7887 or reid.magney@wisconsin.gov. |
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| Important Reminders for a Successful June 5, 2012 Recall Election - UPDATED |
Please contact the G.A.B. HelpDesk at gabhelpdesk@wi.gov or (608) 261-2028 if you have any questions. Thank you.
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| Reporting Requirements in the 2012 Consent Decree |
The 2009 Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment (MOVE) Act requires that absentee ballots to all military and overseas voters are to be transmitted no later than 45 days before any federal election. In 2010 the State of Wisconsin was sued by the United States Department of Justice (USDOJ) because absentee ballots for military and overseas absentee electors could not be sent out 45 days before federal elections due to the date of the fall partisan primary. The result of the suit was a Consent Decree between the USDOJ and the State of Wisconsin. The Consent Decree required the State of Wisconsin to provide a number of reports regarding military and overseas absentee ballots. The USDOJ followed up with states who were sued in 2010 to ensure their ability to comply with the MOVE Act in 2012. In early March municipal clerks were surveyed to confirm that all military and overseas absentee ballots for the Presidential Preference Primary were transmitted at least 45 days before the April Presidential Preference and Spring Primary. The results of the survey revealed that over 50 municipalities failed to send out absentee ballots to military and overseas voters 45 days before the April Presidential Preference and Spring Primary. As a result of the failure of some municipalities to transmit absentee ballots to military and overseas voters 45 days before a federal election, the USDOJ again entered into a Consent Decree with the State of Wisconsin. The 2012 Consent Decree again requires a number of reports from the State of Wisconsin. These reports require information from municipal clerks regarding military and overseas voters that is not currently collected on the GAB-190 or in the Statewide Voter Registration System (SVRS). A series of surveys will be emailed to municipal clerks throughout the remainder of 2012. All municipalities must respond to six additional surveys in 2012. Even if your municipality does not have any military or overseas voters, you must respond to every survey. Due to the timing requirements of the federal court consent decree, some of the surveys will be sent to clerks only one day before they must be completed and returned to the G.A.B. Below is a list of the dates the surveys will be sent to municipal clerks, the dates the surveys must be completed, and the data to be gathered in each survey. Please mark your calendar with the dates of these surveys so you complete them by the required deadlines. It is critical that we obtain complete and timely survey responses from every municipality to comply with the consent decree. Municipal Clerks’ Survey #1Date Survey sent to Municipal Clerks: June 1, 2012 – Click here: 2012 MOVE Consent Decree Survey #1 Date Survey must be completed: June 15, 2012 Data Gathered: The survey asks municipal clerks to certify that they have the capability to email or fax absentee ballots to military and permanent overseas voters if those voters request a ballot be emailed or faxed for the August Partisan Primary. Municipalities without a scanner or email address must certify that they will work with the county or another municipality to ensure ballots can be emailed or faxed to military or overseas voters. Municipal Clerks’ Survey #2Date Survey sent to Municipal Clerks: June 28, 2012 Date Survey must be completed: July 2, 2012 Data Gathered: The survey asks clerks to report how many valid absentee ballot requests for the August Partisan Primary from military and permanent overseas voters were on file as of June 30, 2012 and the dates absentee ballots were sent to these military and overseas voters. Municipal Clerks’ Survey #3
Date Survey sent to Municipal Clerks: July 15, 2012 Date Survey must be completed: July 16, 2012 Data Gathered: The survey asks clerks to report how many valid absentee ballot requests for the August Partisan Primary from military and permanent overseas voters were received between June 30, 2012 and July 15, 2012 and the dates absentee ballots were sent to these military and overseas voters. Municipal Clerks’ Survey #4
Date Survey sent to Municipal Clerks: September 1, 2012 Data Gathered: The survey asks municipal clerks to certify that they have the capability to email or fax absentee ballots to military and permanent overseas voters if they request a ballot be emailed or faxed for the November General Election. Municipalities without a scanner or email address must certify that they will work with the county or another municipality to ensure ballots can be emailed or faxed to military or overseas voters. Municipal Clerks’ Survey #5
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| SVRS 2012 June 5 Recall Election Checklist III |
The SVRS Checklist #3 for the June 5 Recall Election has been posted to the G.A.B. website as an attachment to this memorandum (see above). Clerks must post the number of outstanding absentee ballots and number of provisional ballots on the internet and in their office after the close of polls on Election Day. Clerks must log all provisional ballots in the new Provisional Ballot Tracking System on Election Night. Instructions on this system can be found by following the link in the checklist. If you have questions on post-election activities in SVRS, please contact the Help Desk at 608-261-2028, or by email at gabhelpdesk@wi.gov. Thank you.
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| Partisan Primary Sample Ballot and Reminders for a Successful Primary |
A sample Partisan Primary Ballot is attached above. (Note: This ballot was updated twice to correct errors. The latest update was at 3:45 p.m. June 7) The G.A.B. will hold a board meeting tomorrow, June 8, and will address challenges to ballot access. It is anticipated that candidates for the fall election will be approved by the end of the day. We will send the certification to you directly. There is always the possibility that someone may challenge the G.A.B.’s determination in court and that could potentially affect ballot status. However, it is impossible to know at this point, and we will inform you should any candidate’s status be affected. The listing of candidates who have filed ballot access documents is located at this link: http://gab.wi.gov/elections-voting/2012/fall. Important Reminders
If you have any questions, please contact our helpdesk at (608) 261-2028 or gabhelpdesk@wi.gov.
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| Friendly Reminder on Partisan Primary Ballot Deadlines |
DATE: June 13, 2012 TO: Wisconsin County Clerks FROM: Nathaniel E. Robinson SUBJECT: Friendly Reminder on Partisan Primary Ballot Deadlines The G.A.B. sent out the first survey to municipal clerks as part of the 2012 Consent Decree on June 1, 2012. Some municipal clerks have reported concerns that their county clerks will not deliver ballots to them by the required deadline for the 2012 August Partisan Primary. This email is a reminder to county clerks about the deadline for delivering ballots to municipal clerks on or before June 27, 2012. 2011 Wisconsin Act 75 made changes to the timeframe for the General Election cycle. This included changing the Partisan Primary to the second Tuesday in August and requires County Clerks to deliver ballots to municipal clerks by the 48th day before the Partisan Primary and the General Election. The 48th day before the August Partisan Primary is Wednesday, June 27, 2012. The G.A.B. knows that part of the Wisconsin County Clerk’s Association Summer Conference is scheduled on this day and that this may be a common time for employees to be on vacation. County Clerks need to ensure that ballots will be delivered on June 27th even if they will be absent from their office. Please mark this date on your calendar as this task is crucial to ensuring Wisconsin’s 100% compliance with federal law and the federal court consent decree. 2012 Consent Decree: As a part of the 2012 Consent Decree County clerks are required to certify that they delivered ballots to municipal clerks by June 27, 2012. County Clerks will be sent an email from the G.A.B. on June 27, 2012 asking them to certify that they delivered ballots. County clerks will have to respond to this email by June 28, 2012 to meet the certification requirements. Please contact the G.A.B. Help Desk at 608-261-2028 or GABHelpDesk@wi.gov if you have any questions. Thank you.
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| Revised Polling Place Notices - Effect of Crossover Vote at a Partisan Primary |
Date: June 15, 2012
To: Wisconsin County Clerks
Wisconsin Municipal Clerks
Milwaukee County Election Commission
Milwaukee City Election Commission
From: Diane Lowe, Lead Elections Specialist
Subject: Revised Polling Place Notices – “Notice of Effect of Crossover Voting at a Partisan Primary”
The “Crossover Vote” Notices have been revised to remove references to independent candidates. There are 3 in all and are attached to this communication.
· The GAB-112 is a brief notice to be posted in each voting booth at all polling places.
· The GAB-112p is to be posted at polling places using hand-count paper or consolidated ballots.
· The GAB-112m is posted at polling places using optical scan voting equipment.
If you have any questions, please contact our helpdesk at (608) 261-2028 or gabhelpdesk@wi.gov. |
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| Pronunciation Guide for August 14, 2012 Partisan Primary |
If you program your own accessible voting equipment, please use the attached guide for programming the audio.
If your equipment vendor programs your accessible equipment, the pronunciation guide has been sent to ES&S, Command Central and Dominion.
If there are questions, please contact the Help Desk and 608-261-2028 or gab@wi.gov. Thank you |
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| Instructions for Clerks on Military and Permanent Overseas Absentee Ballots |
The G.A.B. sent the first survey as part of the 2012 Consent Decree on Friday, June 1, 2012. There were many comments and questions regarding transmitting absentee ballots and the time requirements for responding to requests. The following information is a guide for municipal clerks to assist them in serving military and permanent overseas electors. A printable PDF version of this memo is attached above. Sending absentee ballots for the August 14, 2012 Partisan Primary:
What if my County does not deliver my ballots by June 28, 2012?
I will be on vacation during the summer.
I do not have daily office hours.
How do I email or fax an absentee ballot?When you email or fax an absentee ballot you need to transmit three things:
-- Instructions for military voters: http://gab.wi.gov/publications/brochures/uniform-instructions/military-a... -- Instructions for permanent overseas voters: http://gab.wi.gov/publications/brochures/uniform-instructions/regular-ov...
I have an email address but no scanner:
I do not have a fax machine but have internet access:
I do not have a fax machine or internet access:
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| GAB-190 Form for the August 14, 2012 Partisan Primary |
Statutory Date Due: Thursday, September 13, 2012The GAB-190 Form for the August 14, 2012 Partisan Primary is now posted on the Government Accountability Board’s (G.A.B.) website. The GAB-190 and Help Guide can be found at http://gab.wi.gov/forms/gab-190-partisan-primary-2012. The Help Guide contains useful guidance on how to provide the most accurate information for each line item. The GAB-190 is available with both a fillable and non-fillable version at the website address listed above. By statute, the information on the GAB-190 form is required to be entered into the Wisconsin Election Data Collection System (WEDCS) within 30 days of the Partisan Primary, or by September 13, 2012. Special Note: Please do not mail a paper copy of your GAB-190’s to the Wisconsin Accountability Board. Instead, please enter the GAB-190 information into WEDCS. A Friendly Reminder: The information on the Cost of Elections only needs to be provided once for each municipality only – not for each Reporting Unit. Statutory Authority to Request Information: Wis. Stat. § 5.05(14). “Information from County and Municipal Clerks.” The board may request information from county and municipal clerks relating to election administration, performance of electronic voting systems and voting machines, and use of paper ballots in elections. Local election officials are required to provide information requested under § 5.05 (14) to the Board upon request. Wis. Stats. § 7.10 (10), 7.15 (13). Should you have questions, please do not hesitate to contact our Help Desk at gabhelpdesk@wi.gov, or (608) 261-2028. Thank you. cc: Kevin J. Kennedy, Director and General Counsel Brian M. Bell, M.P.A., Elections Data Manager Ross D. Hein, Elections Supervisor |
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| Public Records Request Advisory -- Location Fees |
On June 26, 2012, the GAB offered some guidance to County Clerks at their annual Summer Symposium because of a large number of public records requests submitted to county clerks with respect to voted ballots and other records related to the conduct of the June 5, 2012 recall election. Our written response to one such requestor is attached above. This response offers some basic information about the treatment of election materials, particularly voted ballots, with respect to Wisconsin’s Public Records Law. As always, clerks are advised to discuss any public records requests with their corporation counsel, who is charged with advising them on compliance with public records law. If you have any questions, please contact our Help Desk at (608) 261-2028 or gabhelpdesk@wi.gov. |
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| Municipal Clerks Must Complete Online Survey no later than July 2 |
You are receiving this high-priority communication because it contains information that requires immediate action.
Prompt completion of this survey is required by order of the federal court, and compliance is being required and monitored by the United States Department of Justice. Additional information on the 2012 Consent Decree can be found here: http://gab.wi.gov/node/2379. Thank you in advance for your timely response! cc: Michael R. Haas Kathryn M. Mueller Richard H. Rydecki Brian M. Bell |
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| Public Records Requests: June 5, 2012 Election Materials |
You are receiving this high-priority communication because it contains information that requires immediate attention.We have received several inquiries regarding public records requests for June 5, 2012 election materials, including inspection of actual ballots and the contents of voting systems memory devices. These public records requests have been made by various requestors upon many clerks. In a communication from the Director and General Counsel on June 27, 2012, clerks were provided with some guidance regarding factors to consider when responding to these public records requests. The June 27, 2012 communication established some requirements regarding maintaining a chain of custody and integrity of the June 5, 2012 election materials. These requirements intersect with the public records law in some circumstances. It is the G.A.B.’s understanding that clerks and municipal attorneys are seeking more specific guidance regarding how to treat the public records requests, what to produce, and the mechanics of production, including allowable costs for production. Unfortunately, such guidance really is legal advice regarding the application of Wisconsin's public records law found in Wis. Stats. Chapter 19. As we have already informed clerks, the public records law is not within the jurisdiction of the G.A.B. and, therefore, we cannot provide definitive legal advice regarding the application of those statutes to the requirements to maintain a chain of custody and the integrity of the June 5, 2012 election materials. You and your counsel should comply with the G.A.B. requirements regarding maintaining the chain of custody and integrity of the June 5, 2012 election materials, as communicated on June 27, 2012. However, you and your counsel must independently review and apply requirements and limitations of the public records law to these requests. You and counsel are advised to consider the impact, if any, of the recent Supreme Court decision Milwaukee Journal Sentinel v. City of Milwaukee, 2012 WI 65. In particular, please note the following: “This case is not about a direct denial of public access to records, but the issue in the present case directly implicates the accessibility of government records. The greater the fee imposed on a requester of a public record, the less likely the requester will be willing and able to successfully make a record request. Thus, the imposition of fees limits and may even serve to deny access to government records. In interpreting the Public Records Law, we must be cognizant that the legislature's preference is for "complete public access" and that the imposition of costs, as a practical matter, inhibits access.” Milwaukee Journal Sentinel at ¶ 5. In addition, if clerks are considering passing through vendor costs to produce the contents of the voting systems memory devices, please remind your counsel to consider the amended Wis. Stat. Sec. 19.35(3)(g), which restricts the amount of vendor fees a municipality or county may pass through to records requestors. This relatively recent legislative change was made in response to the Wisconsin Supreme Court decision, WIREdata Inc. v. Village of Sussex (WIREdata II), 2008 WI 69, 310 Wis.2d 397 (Wis. 2008). Your counsel will have to analyze and properly weigh your facts with the new requirements of Wis. Stat. Sec. 19.35(3)(g), and the appropriate level of costs to produce any requested records. For example, your counsel may need to consider whether the cost charged by the vendor includes items such as overhead and profit that need to be excluded from the cost charged to the records requestor under Wis. Stat. Sec. 19.35(3)(g). In the absence of a total withdrawal of the public records request, your counsel should also consider whether Wis. Stat. Sec. 19.35(5), requires that you retain the June 5, 2012 election materials and voting systems memory device records until the public records request is adequately resolved. If your counsel determines that you must retain the June 5, 2012 election materials and voting systems memory devices and you need to prepare for the Partisan Primary Election, your counsel should determine whether it is advisable that you lease different memory devices for the Partisan Primary Election from a vendor or borrow them from a municipality which is not similarly restrained by a public records request. Failure to properly analyze and assess this matter could result in liability of the municipality or county under the public records laws. In this context, your counsel could consider speaking with the requestors to determine whether they would officially withdraw their public records requests as they relate to the voting systems memory devices so that you can conduct Partisan Primary Election with the memory devices used at the June 5, 2012 election. Your counsel could advise that once withdrawn, Wis. Stat. Sec. 19.35(5), retention requirements no longer apply and you would be free to erase and reuse the memory devices. As a reminder of previous G.A.B. email correspondence, clerks should also seek consultation with their municipal or corporation counsel regarding trade secret and open record provisions, as these issues may relate to specific public records requests. While there are some exemptions from production of certain records in the public records statutes, e.g., for copyrighted material, general trade secret claims do not automatically exempt production, which is why you need to consult with your counsel. For instance, if a manufacturer/programmer claims trade secret protections and requests that you deny a public records request, your counsel will have to carefully apply a balancing test to determine whether the manufacturer/programmer has supplied a sufficient basis to outweigh the strong public policy favoring disclosure of public records. This balancing test is very specific to each public records request and the subject matter, which requires individualized legal advice from your counsel. You should also note that certain manufacturers/programmers have open-source coding which does not hinder any disclosure in response to a public records request, so please be cautious if you do not consult your counsel but instead rely solely on information from another clerk. Your specific situation may be entirely different than another clerk’s situation. Along with this Memorandum, please find an informal opinion from the Attorney General’s office which outlines the specific considerations regarding the application of the public records law to requests for claimed trade secret memory device records. If your municipal or corporation counsel has questions regarding these public records requests, they may contact G.A.B. Staff Counsel Shane Falk at (608) 266-2094 or Shane.Falk@wi.gov.
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| Federal MOVE Act Consent Decree Reporting Requirement #3 |
Municipal Clerks Must Complete Mandatory Reporting Requirement by July 16 (today)You are receiving this high-priority communication because it contains information that requires immediate action.
Prompt completion of this survey is required by order of the federal court, and compliance is being required and monitored by the United States Department of Justice. Additional information on the 2012 Consent Decree may be found here: http://gab.wi.gov/node/2379. Thank you in advance for your timely response! cc: Michael R. Haas Kathryn M. Mueller Richard H. Rydecki Brian M. Bell
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| New Webinar Training series: Preparing for the August Partisan Primary scheduled for July 30 |
In an effort to serve our election partners more effectively, the Government Accountability Board is implementing and evaluating new delivery methods for providing critical and up-to-date election administration information about current processes and procedures as well as rapidly changing legislative proposals and new state statutes. With this goal in mind, we are developing a new Elections Administration Training webinar series in lieu of a new series of WisLine program teleconferences in 2012-2013. As many of you are already aware, we have been utilizing webinar software to conduct training sessions, host teleconferences and develop educational modules that can be attended live, recorded, and posted on our website for clerks and other local election officials to access and use on-demand. These approaches have been well received by our customers, county and municipal local election officials. The webinars we develop and conduct over the next year will be more timely and responsive to election law changes at the state level and will provide information and updates you need to continue to perform your job duties effectively. The programs and materials will also be free for you to download from our website for your own education and for training your election inspectors. Please note that WisLine programs still considered current may be used for training purposes. Preparing for the August Partisan PrimaryJuly 30, 2012, 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. Webinar access information and related materials will be posted under “Recent Clerk Communications” on Thursday, July 26, 2012. While an in-house Fall Election Cycle Strategic Planning team has identified general and specific program needs, as we develop the webinar series schedule, we would appreciate your input on topics you would like to see addressed and covered by G.A.B. staff. We would like your feedback regarding:
We will continue to explore education, training and outreach modalities that are efficient, can be delivered at a reduced cost and will provide uniform instruction and training across the state. Please send any comments or suggestions you may have to Allison Coakley: allison.coakley@wi.gov or (608) 261-2033 by Friday, August 10, 2012.
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| Procedure for Conducting a Recall Election during the August 14, 2012 Partisan Primary |
The G.A.B. has been notified by a number of municipalities that will have a recall election in conjunction with the August 14, 2012 Partisan Primary. In our ongoing effort to ensure a successful and problem-free fall election cycle, we have developed two sets of instructions for conducting a recall at the Partisan Primary. Each municipality that will have a recall election on the date of the Partisan Primary has been contacted directly by the G.A.B. with these procedures. One set of instructions outlines the procedures for ballot preparation and processing for municipalities using hand count paper ballots. The other set of instructions outlines the same procedures for municipalities using optical scan voting equipment. We hope these instructions are helpful as you conduct these elections. Please contact the G.A.B Help Desk if you have questions on these procedures. The Help Desk may be reached at (608) 261-2828, or GABhelpdesk@wisconsin.gov. cc: Kevin J. Kennedy Ross D. Hein |
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| Preparing for the August Partisan Primary Webinar |
To launch our “Back to Basics” approach to election administration education and training, the G.A.B. is offering clerks the following training session to ask questions and get information:
Webinar for Clerks, Chief Inspectors and Election Inspectors
Preparing for the August Partisan Primary
Monday, July 30, 2012: 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.
The Preparing for the August Partisan Primary Webinar will cover specific topics related to the upcoming primary that merit additional clarification, based on requests from clerks and the experiences of and lessons learned from June Recall election:
-Counting Votes at the August Partisan Primary Reference materials for the webinar are available as part of this clerk communication for
clerks to print off.
Live Webinar Requirements
Participants must be able to view videos on their computer, using a media application such as Windows Media Player. You will need to use your telephone to access the audio portion of the webinar, rather than using the computer's audio functionality. This is a toll call. If you have questions about the technical aspects of the webinar, please contact the Help Desk at gabhelpdesk@wi.gov or (608) 261-2028.
The webinar has a maximum of 500 lines available. In response to input from clerks, phones
will be muted to reduce ambient noise. Questions may be typed in and will be answered by G.A.B.
staff for the benefit of the participants as time allows.
This webinar will be posted on the G.A.B. website after the session for clerks to use for their own education and training their election inspectors, http://gab.wi.gov/clerks/education- training/webinars and counts toward the hours clerks and chief inspectors need to recertify for their respective terms.
We look forward to you joining us for the webinar on Monday. As announced in our July 19, 2012 clerk communication, this webinar is the first in an Election Administration Training series that we will have scheduled and posted by mid-August. If you have ideas or suggestions for webinar topics, please send them to Allison Coakley: allison.coakley@wi.gov by August 10, 2012. Thank you.
cc: Kevin J. Kennedy
Director and General Counsel
Government Accountability Board
Ross Hein
Elections Supervisor
Government Accountability Board |
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| Launch of G.A.B. Mobile Elections Application |
We are excited to announce the launch of the G.A.B.’s mobile elections application (app) for the Android platform. We would like to extend an invitation to all of our clerk partners, with Android supported phones, to be among the first to try our new mobile application. The new application will be launched and marketed extensively to voters and the general public in preparation for the November election. Before we can make this exciting new tool publically available, we need your assistance. If you have an Android supported phone we ask that you please follow the instructions attached to this memorandum to download the mobile application “Vote WI.” Once you have had a chance to try the app out for yourself, we ask that you please provide us with any feedback by completing this survey: http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/WEB22GBSQS8UHH. With your input, we will make the changes necessary to make the G.A.B.’s mobile elections app the most useful and reliable tool it can be. We are intentionally providing limited instructions on the functionality of the app so that you can provide us with feedback on the ease of use. For those of you with iPhones, the app for the Apple platform is currently in development and is anticipated to be launched before the November election. An important note when downloading the app: If your Android supported phone is serviced through AT&T you may not be able to access this version of the app. AT&T has special firewalls on their phones that block the download of “test” apps. Once the public version is available, AT&T users will also be able to download the app. If you have any problems downloading the app or any questions or comments, please contact Meagan McCord Wolfe – Voter Services Specialist with the Government Accountability Board at Meagan.wolfe@wi.gov or (608) 266-8175. |
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| Expanded Hours of Operation Before, During and After the August 14, 2012 Partisan Primary |
For continuing our assistance to you, our local election partners, to prepare for the August 14, 2012 Partisan Primary, we are expanding our office hours before, during and after this Election. Our regular business hours are from 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. I am pleased to inform you that we are offering the following extended operating hours as part of our ongoing customer service to you: Week Leading up to the August 14 Partisan Election
Week During the August 14 Partisan Election
We encourage you to call our office early with your questions. Please contact our Help Desk at (608) 261-2028, or gabhelpdesk@wi.gov. We wish you and your voters a successful and problem-free Election Day. Thank you. cc: Kevin J. Kennedy |
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| Announcement of $1.9 million Grant to Create an Online Absentee Balloting System for Military and Overseas Voters |
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| New “Click and Mail” Voter Registration Available August 6, 2012 |
As you may know, G.A.B. staff has been working to develop the new “Click and Mail” voter registration program since 2010. We met with various clerk groups and updated both Clerk Associations on the status of the Click and Mail development process. After a lot of interruptions and identification of new scenarios that had to be engineered and tested and re-tested, finally, we are very excited to announce to clerks that Click and Mail will be made available to the public on August 6, 2012 as a “soft launch” (refer to the “Soft Launch” section beginning at the top of page 2). Click and Mail allows eligible Wisconsin voters to register to vote using the Voter Public Access (VPA) website. Voters answer a series of questions to gather their voter registration information, and Click and Mail generates neatly typed GAB-131 form that the voter can mail in or drop off at their municipal clerk’s office, or at their polling place on Election Day. Click and Mail will give the voter the correct instructions on how to submit their form depending on if the voter uses Click and Mail during open registration, late registration, or on Election Day. The voter registration information the voter enters into Click and Mail is sent to SVRS as a pending voter application, which the clerk simply processes once they receive the paper form. Some of the benefits of Click and Mail include:
Soft LaunchWhile Click and Mail is being made available to the public on August 6, note that we do not plan to announce or promote Click and Mail until after the August election and after the upcoming training session (explained below). This strategy is intended to give clerks time to familiarize themselves with the new processes. Voters who see the “Register to Vote” link on VPA will be able to use Click and Mail, giving clerks a chance to process some applications in advance of the public launch of Click and Mail and in advance of the training webinar so they will have a better feel of what kinds of questions to ask. We also wanted to alleviate any confusion that could result from Click and Mail being launched during the Late Registration period. While Click and Mail can be used during Late Registration (the voter would be responsible for bringing in the voter registration application, providing proof of residence and signing in the presence of the municipal clerk), we wanted to provide as much time as possible for clerks to become comfortable with the system before we launch our public outreach campaign on this new registration functionality. Clerk Use of Click and MailMany clerks have inquired if they can use Click and Mail to streamline the voter registration process. Some options for Clerk use of Click and Mail include:
Voter registrations entered into Click and Mail will appear in SVRS the next day for clerks to process. Clerks can begin using Click and Mail for the August Election if they would like to. Click and Mail Training GuideA new Training guide for Click and Mail has been posted on the G.A.B. website along with this announcement. The training guide provides step by step instructions on how to process voter applications received through Click and Mail, as well as instructions on how to fill out a Click and Mail voter application. All clerks should review the training guide so you are prepared when voters begin submitting voter registrations to your office via Click and Mail. Click and Mail Training WebinarG.A.B. staff will also conduct training sessions for clerks on Click and Mail via a “webinar” the week of August 20. This training class is being scheduled after the August Election so that clerks can focus their time and energy now on August Election preparation. An updated communication will be posted once the webinar is scheduled and will provide clerks with the specific date and time. Many clerks have periodically inquired about the status of Click and Mail because they have been eager to use this functionality; a new supplement to our current voter registration processes. If you have questions about Click and Mail, please contact the Help Desk at gabhelpdesk@wi.gov, or 608-261-2028. Thank you. cc: Kevin J. Kennedy Ross D. Hein
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| Back-to-Basics for the 2012 Fall Election Cycle -- Important reminders for the August 14, 2012 Partisan Primary |
The Government Accountability Board Director and Elections Division Supervisor convened a Fall Election Strategic Team to plan for a successful and problem free 2012 Fall Election Cycle. The theme of the Elections Division’s Action Plan is Back-to-Basics. In an effort to assist our local election partners to better understand and administer the fundamentals of fair and impartial elections this fall, this communication contains a summary list of friendly reminders that is part of our Back-to-Basics campaign. PRE-ELECTION
Please Refer To: http://tinyurl.com/bt6e9xc REGISTRATION
Please Refer To: http://tinyurl.com/cmwa8bz VOTING
Please Refer To: http://tinyurl.com/cmwa8bz
Please Refer To: http://tinyurl.com/cmwa8bz ELECTON DAY ISSUES
Please Refer To: http://tinyurl.com/cmwa8bz
ABSENTEE BALLOTS
Please Refer To: http://tinyurl.com/d79ugy5 ELECTION NIGHT/POST-ELECTION
Please Refer To: http://tinyurl.com/brh36e3
Please Refer To: http://gab.wi.gov/node/1126 NOTE: The Government Accountability Board is offering extended office hours for the August 14, 2012, Partisan Primary. The extended days and times are listed here: http://gab.wi.gov/node/2434. Contact InformationFor questions, please contact the G.A.B. Help Desk at (608) 261-2028, or gabhelpdesk@wi.gov. Thank you. cc: Kevin J. Kennedy Ross D. Hein |
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| Student Residency for Voting in Wisconsin |
The subject of student residency for voting has become an important topic in 2012 with two elections occurring during the summer months. Many students and election officials are unclear about where students are eligible to vote during the summer or the school year. Students and other transient individuals have unique circumstances that make establishing a residency for 28 days challenging. The Wisconsin Statutes recognize and address these challenges. The attached guidance clarifies residency issues for students. The G.A.B. has developed the document, “Voting Residence of University and College Students” as a comprehensive memo which details the laws and procedures that should be followed in these circumstances. This memo is a revision of the memo that the G.A.B. released in May, 2012. This new version contains new and up-to-date information. The G.A.B. has also developed a condensed version of this memo in the form of a two page “Student Residency Guide for Voting in Wisconsin.” We encourage you to print this guide and share it with anyone who may find it helpful, including voters, poll workers, and observers. This document could also be helpful during voter registration at the polling place. We also encourage anyone with questions on student residency to visit the Government Accountability Board’s website at http://gab.wi.gov for more information. In addition, follow the G.A.B. on Facebook and Twitter at http://facebook.com/wisconsingovernmentaccountabilityboard and http://twitter.com/wisconsin_gab where you can find posts on these topics and more. Individuals with questions regarding the information contained in this document may contact Michael Haas at (608) 266-0136 or Michael.Haas@wisconsin.gov or Meagan Wolfe at (608) 266-8175 or Meagan.Wolfe@wisconsin.gov. Media inquiries should be directed to Reid Magney at 608-267-7887 or Reid.Magney@wisconsin.gov.
cc: Ross D. Hein |
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| Checklist III for the August Partisan Primary Has Been Posted |
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| Processing and Counting Late-Arriving Absentee and Provisional Ballots |
Based on your feedback, the Government Accountability Board has developed additional instructions for the processing and counting of late-arriving absentee and provisional ballots, a function of the Municipal Board of Canvassers (MBOC). The Election Administration Manual has been updated with these instructions. Please refer to the “Post Election Activities” section, pages 155-174 An electronic copy of the updated Election Administration Manual is posted here: http://gab.wi.gov/clerk/education-training/election-administration-manual. The instructions in the updated Election Administration Manual reference two new forms: GAB-104AP and GAB-106-AP. These new forms were developed based on your comments about this process. You may use these forms as you process and count late-arriving absentee and provisional ballots from the August 14, 2012, Partisan Primary and future elections. It is your discretion whether to use these new forms. The GAB-104AP (http://gab.wi.gov/forms/gab-104AP) is the MBOC Record of Activity. It is a diary of the activities of the MBOC. The GAB-106AP (http://gab.wi.gov/forms/gab-106AP) is the Statement of the MBOC. It is the reconciliation of late-arriving absentee and provisional ballots processed. It may also serve as the statement that confirms that the election night returns have not changed. We are providing this additional information at this time, based on requests we received today from clerks. If you have questions about the MBOC instructions and/or the two new forms, please contact the G.A.B. Help Desk at 608-261-2028 or GABhelpdesk@wisconsin.gov. cc: Kevin J. Kennedy Ross D. Hein |
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| Public Records Requests for GAB-190 Statistic/Voter Data Requests from SVRS |
Please review the attached memorandum regarding public records requests, and voter data requests, as well as the revised statement about data availability and quality. The memorandum is summarized in the bulleted comments below. Public Records Requests Voter Data Requests From SVRS If you have questions, please contact the G.A.B. HelpDesk at (608) 261-2028, or GABHelpdesk@wi.gov. Thanks! |
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| Friendly Reminder: Reporting Requirements for the 2012 Consent Decree for the November General Election |
All clerks must respond to each and every reporting requirement
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| Use of Electronic Documents for Proof of Residence |
(August 28, 2012 Ruling of the Government Accountability Board) At the Government Accountability Board meeting held on August 28, 2012, the Board heard public testimony regarding the use of electronic documents as a sufficient form of proof of residence for voters required to present such proof as part of the registration process. After considering public comments and after receiving staff’s report and recommendation to await further comments from clerks before taking action, the Board unanimously directed that election officials shall accept electronic versions of any of the proof of residence documents under Wis. Stat. § 6.34(3)(a) that contain a current and complete name and address: 1. A current and valid driver license. Electronic versions of these documents may be presented to election officials as proof of residence on smartphones, tablets, or other electronic devices. This is a change from the former staff guidance that only paper copies establishing proof of residence were acceptable. Election officials are still required to record the type of proof of residence presented along with the identifying number, if any, associated with the document on the voter registration form. Special Note: The Board specifically indicated in its ruling that election officials are under no obligation to provide Internet access, computers, or smartphones in their offices or at the polling place to facilitate voter registration. The Board also reiterated that, while election observers may observe public aspects of the voting process, they do not have the right to view or handle proof of residence documents presented by voters to election inspectors. Staff will soon provide additional information and guidance for implementing this decision. Your continued cooperation and diligence on behalf of Wisconsin’s voters is, as always, greatly appreciated. cc: Kevin J. Kennedy Ross D. Hein
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| SVRS Checklist I and SVRS Checklist II for the November 6, 2012 Presidential and General Election |
Should you have questions, please do not hesitate to contact our Help Desk at gabhelpdesk@wi.gov, or (608) 261-2028. Thank you.
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| Voting 101: “Back to Basics” A Guide and Resources for Wisconsin Voters |
Wisconsin Election laws have undergone several changes since the last General Election. Over the past year, there have been reports of voter confusion over both new and old provisions. The Government Accountability Board has launched a “Back to Basics” Campaign to update both election officials and voters on the fundamentals of voting in Wisconsin. As part of this “Back to Basics” initiative, the G.A.B. has created a program that specifically targets voters. We are calling our new voter focused program “Voting 101: Back to Basics!” A Guide and Resources for Wisconsin Voters. Our voter focused programs will include a speaker’s bureau, a new web portal, an elections application, the use of social media, various print materials, and more. The G.A.B. would like your help in identifying groups who would benefit from this information. G.A.B. staff created the Voting 101 Speaker’s Bureau to help inform Wisconsin electors about election laws. We plan to reach voters through in-person, webinar, and pre-recorded presentations. Staff will partner with county and municipal clerks, the Wisconsin Towns Association, League of Wisconsin Municipalities, members of the Wisconsin Legislature, as well as community organizations to identify groups or organizations of concerned electors who will be interested in being a part of our “Back to Basics” presentations. The G.A.B.’s Voting 101 Speaker’s Bureau will commence on September 5, 2012 and will continue through November 5, 2012. We are requesting that you recommend a list of organizations within your community that may be interested in hosting a G.A.B. Speaker’s Bureau event. We also encourage you to organize an event focused on voters and invite us to be a part of it. Once we receive your list we will contact the groups you recommend to see if they would like to schedule a Speaker’s Bureau event, or if there are other ways we can assist them with their voter outreach efforts. At this time we are requesting that an audience of at least 30 participants be guaranteed in order to book a G.A.B. speaker. Events will be scheduled based on staff availability. If staff is unavailable, or if your group has less than 30 participants, the G.A.B. will offer the option of a webinar presentation or a pre-recorded presentation. For questions about the Voting 101 Speaker’s Bureau or to schedule an event, please contact Voter Services Specialist Meagan McCord Wolfe at (608) 266-8175 or meagan.wolfe@wi.gov. We appreciate your help in our outreach efforts. Thank you. |
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| Municipal Clerks Must Complete Online Consent Decree Report #4 no later than September 14, 2012 |
• The fourth report municipal clerks are required to complete as part of the 2012 Federal Court Consent Decree is now available by clicking here: Municipality Consent Decree Reporting Requirement #4. All municipalities must complete this report no later than September 14, 2012 even if there are currently no military or permanent overseas voters on file. • A memo outlining the 2012 Consent Decree and information regarding municipal clerk reporting requirements can be found on the Recent Clerk Communications page on the GAB website: Consent Decree Reporting Requirements Reminder(8.21.2012). • This reporting requirement was scheduled to go out on September 1, 2012 but due to the holiday weekend, we are making it available earlier. • Municipal clerks must complete two additional reports through the remainder of 2012 to satisfy the Consent Decree. County Clerks must certify that ballots have been delivered by the 47th day before the November General Election. If you have any additional questions, please contact the G.A.B. Help Desk at (608) 261-2028, or at GABHelpDesk@wi.gov. Thank you.
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| New Elections Administration Training webinar series schedule (September 2012 – October 2012) |
As we announced in July, in an effort to serve our election partners more effectively, the Government Accountability Board has developed a new Elections Administration Training webinar series in lieu of a new series of WisLine program teleconferences in 2012-2013. As many of you are already aware, we have been utilizing webinar software to conduct training sessions, host teleconferences and develop educational modules that can be attended live, recorded, and posted on our website for clerks and other local election officials to access and use on-demand. The first webinar in the new series, “Preparing for the August Partisan Primary,” was conducted in August as part of our “Back to Basics” education and training initiative and provided important information on counting votes, proof of residence and signing the poll list. We feel the webinars we develop and conduct over the next year will be more timely and responsive to election law changes at the state level and will provide information and updates you need to continue to perform your job duties effectively. The programs and materials will also be free for you to download from our website for your own education and for training your election inspectors. The following is a list of webinars developed to prepare election officials for the November 2012 election. The webinars count toward the hours clerks and chief inspectors need for recertification. The webinars will include, but are not necessarily limited to, the topics listed below their titles. Elections Administration Training Webinar Series
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| Certification of Nomination for November 6, 2012 General Election |
Attached are:
Candidates on Ballot Report is here. Should you have questions, please do not hesitate to contact our Help Desk at gabhelpdesk@wi.gov, or (608) 261-2028. Thank you. |
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| Availability of Spanish Language Election Materials on the G.A.B. Website |
In an effort to better serve our Spanish speaking voters, the Government Accountability Board has recently made 20 translated election administration forms, resources and polling place notices available on our website. In addition to previously available Spanish-language forms such as the Voter Registration Form (GAB-131) and the Absentee Ballot Application (GAB-121), the G.A.B. is now providing additional materials for use by election officials. All required polling place notices have been translated and are available for your use. In addition, other resources such as Spanish-language provisional voting instructions have also been created. Please use these documents at your discretion to supplement the information that you currently provide to voters. Printable and downloadable versions of the documents can be found in the ‘Forms’ section on our website (http://gab.wi.gov/forms/spanish). If you have additional questions, please contact the G.A.B. Help Desk at (608) 261-2028, toll-free at (866) VOTEWIS (868-3947), or by email at GABHelpDesk@wi.gov. Thank you. cc: Kevin J. Kennedy |
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| Pronunciation Guide for Fall 2012 General Election |
If you have questions, please contact the Help Desk at 608-261-2028 or gabhelpdesk@wi.gov. Thank you. |
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| OFFICIAL Certification of Nomination for Presidential and Vice Presidential Candidates |
Good morning,
Attached, please find the OFFICIAL Certification of Presidential and Vice Presidential Candidates. Please note the spelling of “La Riva.”
If you have questions, please contact the Help Desk at 608-261-2028 or gabhelpdesk@wi.gov.
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| Webinar for the Online Absentee Balloting System for Military and Permanent Overseas Voters - Important Date Change! |
Important: Due to unforeseen circumstances, Friday's webinar is rescheduled for Tuesday, September 18, 2012 from 10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. Space is limited. The Government Accountability Board announced in late July that staff was working on developing a website for military and overseas voters to access their absentee ballots online. On Friday, September 14, 2012 from 10:00am – 11:30pm, the G.A.B. will conduct a webinar to introduce clerks to the new site. The new website will replace the current Voter Public Access (http://vpa.wi.gov) site and provide all voters with registration, sample ballot, municipal clerk and polling place information. In addition, there will be a section for military and permanent overseas voters to request an absentee ballot and access their absentee ballot online. The new site is called My Vote WI (http://myvote.wi.gov) and will be live on September 17, 2012 for the November General Election. The new online absentee ballot request and online absentee ballot access with interface with the Statewide Voter Registration System (SVRS). The webinar will provide a tutorial of the new voter services available on the My Vote WI site, the interface with SVRS, and how clerks will be notified of the updates to SVRS. Webinar InformationMy Vote WI - Online Absentee Balloting System for Military and Overseas Voters Webinar Friday, September 14, 2012 10:00 am – 11:30 am Click on link to register: Live Webinar RequirementsParticipants must be able to view videos on their computer, using a media application such as Windows Media Player. You will need to use your telephone to access the audio portion of the webinar, rather than using the computer's audio functionality. This is a toll call. If you have questions about the technical aspects of the webinar, please contact the Help Desk at gabhelpdesk@wi.gov or (608) 261-2028.
cc: Kevin J. Kennedy Ross D. Hein
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| Absentee Rules and Procedures Webinar - materials posted |
Absentee Rules and Procedures Webinar In late August, the G.A.B. launched our “Back to Basics” approach to election administration education and training with the “Preparing for the August Partisan Primary. The second webinar in our training series is: Webinar for Clerks, Chief Inspectors and Election Inspectors The Absentee Voting Rules and Procedures Webinar will cover specific topics related to absentee voting, processing and other procedures for the November election that merit additional clarification, based on requests from clerks and the experiences of and lessons learned from this year’s elections:
Reference materials for the webinar will be posted in this location by Tuesday afternoon for clerks to Live Webinar RequirementsParticipants must be able to view videos on their computer, using a media application such as Windows Media Player. You will need to use your telephone to access the audio portion of the webinar, rather than using the computer's audio functionality. This is a toll call. If you have questions about the technical aspects of the webinar, please contact the Help Desk at gabhelpdesk@wi.gov or (608) 261-2028. The webinar has a maximum of 500 lines available. In response to input from clerks, phones will We look forward to you joining us for the webinar on Wednesday. As announced in our July 19, 2012 clerk communication, this webinar is the second in an Election Administration Training series that we will have scheduled and posted by mid-August. If you have ideas or suggestions for webinar topics, please send them to Allison Coakley: allison.coakley@wi.gov by August 10, 2012. Thank you. cc: Kevin J. Kennedy Ross Hein |
Wisconsin Government Accountability Board | 212 East Washington Avenue, Third Floor P.O. Box 7984 | Madison, Wisconsin 53707-7984