2021 - 2022 LEGISLATURE
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2021 SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION 32
May 14, 2021 - Introduced by Senators ROTH, BRADLEY, NASS, FELZKOWSKI, JACQUE,
JAGLER, STROEBEL and BALLWEG, cosponsored by Representatives STEINEKE,
AUGUST, ARMSTRONG, BORN, BROOKS, CABRAL-GUEVARA, DALLMAN, DITTRICH,
DUCHOW, EDMING, GUNDRUM, KATSMA, KUGLITSCH, KURTZ, LOUDENBECK,
MAGNAFICI, MURSAU, PETERSEN, PLUMER, ROZAR, SORTWELL, SPIROS, STEFFEN,
SWEARINGEN, TAUCHEN, THIESFELDT, TITTL, VANDERMEER, VORPAGEL, WICHGERS,
WITTKE, SCHRAA and NEYLON. Referred to Committee on Veterans and Military
Affairs and Constitution and Federalism.
1 To renumber and amend section 1 of article III; and to create section 1 (1) of article
2 III of the constitution; relating to: eligibility to vote in Wisconsin (first
3 consideration).
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
Currently, the constitution provides that every United States citizen age 18 or
older who is a resident of an election district in Wisconsin is a qualified elector of that
district. A qualified elector is an individual who is eligible to vote in Wisconsin,
subject to requirements established by law, such as voter registration.
This constitutional amendment, proposed to the 2021 legislature on first
consideration, provides that only a person who is a qualified elector may vote in an
election for national, state, or local office or at a statewide or local referendum.
A constitutional amendment requires adoption by two successive legislatures
and ratification by the people before it can become effective.
4 Resolved by the senate, the assembly concurring, That:
5 SECTION 1. Section 1 of article III of the constitution is renumbered section 1
6 (2) of article III and amended to read:
7 [Article III] Section 1 (2) Every Only a United States citizen age 18 or older who
8 is a resident of an election district in this state is a qualified elector of that district
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SECTION 1
1 who may vote in an election for national, state, or local office or at a statewide or local
2 referendum.
3 SECTION 2. Section 1 (1) of article III of the constitution is created to read:
4 [Article III] Section 1 (1) In this section:
5 (a) “Local office" means any elective office other than a state or national office.
6 (b) “National office" means the offices of president and vice president of the
7 United States, U.S. senator, and representative in congress.
8 (c) “Referendum" means an election at which an advisory, validating, or
9 ratifying question is submitted to the electorate.
10 (d) “State office" means the offices of governor, lieutenant governor, secretary
11 of state, state treasurer, attorney general, state superintendent of public instruction,
12 justice of the supreme court, court of appeals judge, circuit court judge, state senator,
13 state representative to the assembly, and district attorney.
14 SECTION 3. Numbering of new provision. If another constitutional
15 amendment ratified by the people creates the number of any provision created in this
16 joint resolution, the chief of the legislative reference bureau shall determine the
17 sequencing and the numbering of the provisions whose numbers conflict.
18 Be it further resolved, That this proposed amendment be referred to the
19 legislature to be chosen at the next general election and that it be published for three
20 months previous to the time of holding such election.
21 (END)