6.18 Former residents. If ineligible to qualify as an elector in the state to which the elector has moved, any former qualified Wisconsin elector may vote an absentee ballot in the ward of the elector's prior residence in any presidential election occurring within 24 months after leaving Wisconsin by requesting an application form and returning it, properly executed, to the municipal clerk of the elector's prior Wisconsin residence. When requesting an application form for an absentee ballot, the applicant shall specify the applicant's eligibility for only the presidential ballot. Unless the applicant is exempted from providing proof of identification under s. 6.87 (4) (b) 2. or 3., or the applicant is a military or overseas elector, the elector shall enclose a copy of his or her proof of identification or any authorized substitute document with his or her application. The municipal clerk shall verify that the name on the proof of identification conforms to the name on the application. The clerk shall not issue a ballot to an elector who is required to enclose a copy of proof of identification or an authorized substitute document with his or her application unless the copy is enclosed and the proof is verified by the clerk. The application form shall require the following information and be in substantially the following form:
This form shall be returned to the municipal clerk's office. Application must be received in sufficient time for ballots to be mailed and returned prior to any presidential election at which applicant wishes to vote. Complete all statements in full.
APPLICATION FOR PRESIDENTIAL
ELECTOR'S ABSENTEE BALLOT
(To be voted at the Presidential Election
on November ...., .... (year)
I, .... hereby swear or affirm that I am a citizen of the United States, formerly residing at .... in the .... ward .... aldermanic district (city, town, village) of ...., County of .... for 28 consecutive days prior to leaving the State of Wisconsin. I, .... do solemnly swear or affirm that I do not qualify to register or vote under the laws of the State of ....(State you now reside in) where I am presently residing. A citizen must be a resident of: State ....(Insert time) County ....(Insert time) City, Town or Village ....(Insert time), in order to be eligible to register or vote therein. I further swear or affirm that my legal residence was established in the State of ....(the State where you now reside) on .... Month .... Day .... Year.
Signed ....
Address ....(Present address)
....(City) ....(State)
Subscribed and sworn to before me this .... day of .... .... (year)
....(Notary Public, or other officer authorized to administer oaths.)
....(County)
My Commission expires
MAIL BALLOT TO:
NAME ....
ADDRESS ....
CITY .... STATE .... ZIP CODE ....
Penalties for Violations. Whoever swears falsely to any absent elector affidavit under this section may be fined not more than $1,000 or imprisoned for not more than 6 months or both. Whoever intentionally votes more than once in an election may be fined not more than $10,000 or imprisoned for not more than 3 years and 6 months or both.
....(Municipal Clerk)
....(Municipality)
NOTE: In One Wisconsin Institute, Inc. v. Thomsen, 15-cv-324, 198 F. Supp. 3d 896 (2016), the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin ordered that “the increase of the durational residency requirement from 10 days to 28 days is unconstitutional."
History: 1971 c. 304 s. 29 (1), (2); 1975 c. 85 ss. 9, 66 (3); 1991 a. 316; 1997 a. 250; 2001 a. 107, 109; 2003 a. 321, 327; 2011 a. 23, 227.
2011 Wis. Act 23, which created requirements that voters present photo identification in order to vote at a polling place or obtain an absentee ballot, does not violate either section 2 of the federal Voting Rights Act, 52 USC 10301, or the U.S. Constitution. Frank v. Walker, 768 F.3d 744 (2014).