An Act to renumber and amend 13.175; to amend 5.35 (6) (a) 1. and 10.01 (2) (c); to create 13.175 (2) of the statutes; Relating to: information provided to voters concerning proposed constitutional amendments and other statewide referenda. (FE)
Summary
AB207 would change how Wisconsin informs voters about proposed constitutional amendments and other statewide referenda. Under current law, the attorney general prepares an explanatory statement describing the effect of a “yes” or “no” vote. This bill would eliminate that attorney general statement and replace it with a legislatively approved “complete state referendum disclosure notice” that must accompany each statewide referendum proposal passed by the legislature.
The required notice would include the referendum date, the full text of the ballot question and any proposed amendment or enactment, a plain-language summary of current law when relevant, a plain-language explanation of the proposal’s effect, and a plain-language explanation of what a yes vote and a no vote would do. The bill also limits the explanatory portion to one page in 12-point font or larger, and requires the notice to be included in multiple voter-facing places, including the type C referendum notice, polling places, the Elections Commission’s voter website, county clerk offices and websites, and absentee ballot materials.
Impact
AB207 would amend statutes governing election notices and referendum procedures, specifically changing s. 13.175 and related provisions in ss. 5.35 and 10.01. It would shift responsibility for referendum disclosure content away from the attorney general and into a statutory notice format that must be approved as part of the referendum proposal itself. The bill would expand the distribution of referendum information to polling places, county clerk postings, the state voter information website, and absentee ballot packets, affecting the Elections Commission, county clerks, and voters participating in statewide referenda.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have been introduced as a voter-information and transparency measure, with its core purpose framed as giving voters clearer, standardized information about statewide referenda. However, the available record shows no committee transcript or vote history indicating broad support or opposition, and the bill ultimately failed to concur in pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1. Based on the text alone, the measure is presented in a neutral, administrative tone focused on disclosure and formatting rather than substantive policy change.
Contention
The main point of potential contention is the bill’s removal of the attorney general from preparing explanatory statements and replacing that role with a legislatively controlled disclosure notice. Supporters may view this as improving clarity and ensuring voters receive a uniform plain-language summary, while critics may see it as politicizing referendum explanations or reducing the independence of voter guidance. Another possible issue is the one-page limit on the explanatory content, which could be seen as promoting brevity and accessibility but also as constraining how fully complex constitutional or referendum questions can be explained.
Crossfiled
An Act to renumber and amend 13.175; to amend 5.35 (6) (a) 1. and 10.01 (2) (c); to create 13.175 (2) of the statutes; Relating to: information provided to voters concerning proposed constitutional amendments and other statewide referenda. (FE)