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Bill > SB361

WI SB361

WI SB361
Authorizing electors to vote in the primary of more than one political party. (FE)

summary

Introduced
06/27/2025
In Committee
06/27/2025
Crossed Over
Passed
Dead

Introduced Session

2025-2026 Regular Session

Bill Summary

Under current law, a voter in a partisan primary election may cast a ballot or vote in the column of only one major political party, regardless of the number of candidates who are running for office in that party, if any. Similarly, a voter in a partisan primary may vote for any of the independent candidates for state office, but if the voter chooses this option, he or she may not vote for any party candidates for any office. Candidates of minor parties appear on the ballot as independent candidates. This bill permits a voter in a partisan primary to Xsplit tickets,Y designating the candidate of his or her choice for each office, including the offices of governor LRB-3583/1 JK:cdc 2025 - 2026 Legislature SENATE BILL 361 and lieutenant governor, regardless of party affiliation. The bill also allows a voter to vote for independent candidates for one or more state offices in a partisan primary, in addition to party candidates for one or more state or county offices. Under the bill, a voter may still vote for only one candidate for each office. The voting procedure at the general election and other partisan elections is unaffected by the bill. The bill initially applies to voting at the 2026 partisan primary election. For further information see the state fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill.

AI Summary

This bill reforms Wisconsin's primary election voting rules to allow more flexible voter choices. Specifically, the bill permits voters in partisan primary elections to vote for candidates across different political parties' columns or rows, rather than being restricted to voting only within a single party's ballot. Under the new rules, an elector can select candidates from multiple parties for different offices, effectively "splitting" their ticket. The bill removes previous restrictions that prevented voters from voting for candidates from more than one party during a primary election. The voting procedures for the general election remain unchanged, and the new rules will first apply to the 2026 partisan primary election. The legislation modifies numerous sections of Wisconsin's election statutes to enable this more flexible voting approach, such as changing ballot formatting requirements, updating candidate selection procedures, and removing previous party-specific voting limitations. The goal appears to be providing voters with greater freedom in selecting primary candidates across party lines while maintaining the fundamental structure of partisan primaries.

Committee Categories

Business and Industry

Sponsors (12)

Last Action

Representative J. Jacobson added as a cosponsor (on 01/09/2026)
(1 Companion Bills)

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