Assembly Bill 227 aims to strengthen the regulations surrounding election bribery in Wisconsin by expanding the definition of prohibited inducements related to signing petitions and nomination papers. The bill specifically prohibits offering any inducement to an elector to sign or refrain from signing petitions that support or oppose candidates, referendums, or propositions during designated election periods. Additionally, it includes similar prohibitions for nomination papers and recall petitions. The bill also redefines "anything of value" to include items with a utility independent of their political message, increasing the threshold for value from $1 to $5 for certain violations.

The bill introduces new legal definitions, including the term "election period," which outlines specific timeframes related to spring, general, special, and recall elections. It also renumbers and amends existing statutes to incorporate these changes. The overall intent of the bill is to enhance the integrity of the electoral process by clarifying and expanding the scope of actions considered as election bribery, thereby ensuring that the electoral system remains free from undue influence.

Statutes affected:
Bill Text: 12.11(2), 12.11