Senate Bill 233 aims to strengthen the regulations surrounding election bribery in Wisconsin by expanding the definition of prohibited inducements related to signing or refraining from signing various election-related documents. The bill specifically prohibits offering inducements to electors to sign or refrain from signing nomination papers, recall petitions, or petitions concerning candidates, referendums, or propositions related to political or social issues during designated election periods. Additionally, the bill clarifies that "anything of value" for the purposes of these violations now includes objects with utility independent of a political message, with a value threshold increased from $1 to $5.

The bill also introduces a formal definition of "election period," which encompasses specific timeframes surrounding spring elections, general elections, special elections, and recall elections. Furthermore, it renumbers and amends existing statutes to incorporate these changes, ensuring that the prohibitions apply to materials distributed at public expense that carry a political message. Overall, the legislation seeks to enhance the integrity of the electoral process by addressing potential bribery tactics that could influence voter participation in critical democratic activities.

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