Assembly Bill 574 aims to improve the accuracy of voter registration lists in Wisconsin by implementing stricter verification measures for voters' addresses and ensuring the removal of ineligible voters. The bill requires municipal clerks to automatically receive change of address information from the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) every 60 days, a significant reduction from the previous two-year interval. Additionally, clerks must send address verification cards after each general election and utilize the USPS data to update the registration list. An online form will also be established for voters to submit their address changes, which must include a method for verifying the current address through USPS data.

A key change in the bill is the elimination of the practice of changing a voter's status from eligible to ineligible; instead, ineligible voters must be completely removed from the registration list. This is reflected in the legal language where terms related to changing status are replaced with provisions for removal. The bill also stipulates that no absentee ballot can be sent to a voter without first verifying their address with USPS. Furthermore, it designates the municipal clerk or executive director as the chairperson of the commission and allows municipalities adopting the new procedures to be exempt from mailing address verification cards. Overall, Assembly Bill 574 seeks to streamline the voter registration process and enhance the integrity of the voter rolls.

Statutes affected:
Bill Text: 6.275(1)(f), 6.275, 6.32(4), 6.32, 6.33(4), 6.33, 6.33(5)(a)1, 6.36(1)(d), 6.36, 6.36(1)(e), 6.47(6), 6.47, 6.47(7)(b), 6.48(1)(d), 6.48, 6.48(2)(b), 6.50(2), 6.50, 6.50(2g), 6.50(2r)(g), 6.50(3), 6.50(4), 6.50(5), 6.50(6), 6.50(7)