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Bill > AB515
WI AB515
WI AB515Criminalizing certain conduct intended to interfere with certain election activities and providing a penalty.
summary
Introduced
10/15/2025
10/15/2025
In Committee
10/15/2025
10/15/2025
Crossed Over
Passed
Dead
Introduced Session
2025-2026 Regular Session
Bill Summary
This bill makes it a crime for a person to do any of the following with the intent to threaten the orderly conduct of an election, to interfere with voting or registration at a polling place during polling hours, or to interfere with in-person absentee voting: 1. Engage in loud, boisterous, or otherwise disruptive conduct. 2. Engage in harassing or intimidating conduct. 3. Engage in conduct that would cause a reasonable person to suffer serious emotional distress or fear bodily injury. Under the bill, anyone committing such a crime may be fined not more than $10,000 or imprisoned for not more than nine months or both. This bill also creates a penalty enhancement for the crimes of stalking, disorderly conduct, and harassment if the victim was chosen because of the actor[s belief that the victim was engaged in voting at a polling place, clerk[s office, or an absentee voting site, or that the victim was an election official or other municipal employee who was engaged in duties related to voter registration, voting, or canvassing. Under the penalty enhancement provided in the bill, a stalking crime that would have been a Class I felony becomes a Class H felony, and a disorderly conduct or harassment crime that would have been a Class B misdemeanor becomes a Class A misdemeanor for a first offense or Class I felony for a second or subsequent offense. Because this bill creates a new crime or revises a penalty for an existing crime, the Joint Review Committee on Criminal Penalties may be requested to prepare a report.
AI Summary
This bill creates new legal provisions to protect the integrity and orderly conduct of elections by criminalizing certain disruptive behaviors at polling places, clerk's offices, and absentee voting sites. Specifically, the bill makes it illegal for a person to intentionally engage in loud, boisterous, or disruptive conduct, harass or intimidate others, or act in a way that would cause a reasonable person to experience serious emotional distress or fear bodily injury during voting activities. The bill also establishes enhanced penalties for crimes committed with the specific intent to interfere with voting or target election officials and workers. If a person commits certain crimes (such as harassment, disorderly conduct, or harassment) while intentionally selecting victims because they are voting or working in election-related roles, the penalties can be increased. For example, a Class I felony could be elevated to a Class H felony, and a Class B misdemeanor could be changed to a Class A misdemeanor or even a Class I felony for repeat offenders. The goal of these provisions is to protect the democratic process by ensuring that voting and election administration can occur without intimidation or disruption.
Committee Categories
Government Affairs
Sponsors (9)
Deb Andraca (D)*,
Tara Johnson (D)*,
Vincent Miresse (D)*,
Sylvia Ortiz-Velez (D)*,
Amaad Rivera-Wagner (D)*,
Ann Roe (D)*,
Christine Sinicki (D)*,
Shelia Stubbs (D)*,
Melissa Ratcliff (D),
Last Action
Read first time and referred to Committee on Campaigns and Elections (on 10/15/2025)
Official Document
bill text
bill summary
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bill summary
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bill summary
| Document Type | Source Location |
|---|---|
| State Bill Page | https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/2025/proposals/reg/asm/bill/ab515 |
| BillText | https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/document/proposaltext/2025/REG/AB515.pdf |
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