Assembly Bill 595 seeks to improve compliance with the federal Help America Vote Act (HAVA) by amending various statutes related to voter registration and the management of the official voter registration list in Wisconsin. The bill requires the Elections Commission to address complaints regarding HAVA violations, including those against itself, and mandates resolution of these complaints within a specified timeframe. It also establishes new data-sharing agreements among the Elections Commission, the Department of Transportation, the Department of Corrections, and the Office of Vital Records to verify citizenship and remove ineligible voters from the registration list. Additionally, a voter citizenship audit will be conducted every odd-numbered year by the Legislative Audit Bureau to identify non-citizen registrants, who will be notified and given an opportunity to prove their citizenship.

The bill further introduces provisions for managing voter registration records, requiring the commission to maintain a permanent record of removals from the voter registration list, including the date and reason for each removal. It updates the process for handling valid registrations or changes in name or address, ensuring timely entry into the commission's electronic list. Moreover, the procedure for updating the registration status of electors who have registered in another state is modified; instead of marking them as ineligible, the commission or municipal clerk must remove their names from the registration list entirely. These changes aim to streamline the voter registration process and enhance the accuracy and integrity of the voter registration lists.

Statutes affected:
Bill Text: 5.056, 5.061(3), 5.061, 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)