6.56 Verification of voters not appearing on list.

(1) The list containing the names of persons voting under ss. 6.29 and 6.55 (2) shall be returned together with all forms and certificates to the municipal clerk.

(3) Upon receipt of the list under sub. (1), the municipal clerk or board of election commissioners shall make an audit of all electors registering to vote at the polling place or other registration location under s. 6.55 (2) and all electors registering by agent on election day under s. 6.86 (3) (a) 2. unless the clerk or board of election commissioners receives notice from the elections commission under sub. (7) that the elections commission will perform the audit. The audit shall be made by 1st class postcard. The postcard shall be marked in accordance with postal regulations to ensure that it will be returned to the clerk, board of election commissioners, or elections commission if the elector does not reside at the address given on the postcard. If any postcard is returned undelivered, or if the clerk, board of election commissioners, or elections commission is informed of a different address than the one specified by the elector which was apparently improper on the day of the election, the clerk, board of election commissioners, or elections commission shall change the status of the elector from eligible to ineligible on the registration list, mail the elector a notice of the change in status, and provide the name of the elector to the district attorney for the county where the polling place is located and the elections commission.

(3m) As soon as possible after all information relating to registrations after the close of registration for an election is entered on the registration list following the election under s. 6.33 (5) (a), the commission shall compare the list of new registrants whose names do not appear on the poll lists for the election because the names were added after the commission certified the poll lists for use at the election with the list containing the names transmitted to the commission by the department of corrections under s. 301.03 (20m) as of election day. If the commission finds that the name of any person whose name appears on the list transmitted under s. 301.03 (20m) has been added to the registration list, the commission shall enter on the list the information transmitted to the commission under s. 301.03 (20m) and shall notify the district attorney for the county where the polling place is located that the person appears to have voted illegally at the election.

(4) After each election, the municipal clerk shall perform an audit to assure that no person has been allowed to vote more than once. Whenever the municipal clerk has good reason to believe that a person has voted more than once in an election, the clerk shall send the person a 1st class letter marked in accordance with postal regulations to ensure that it will be returned to the clerk if the elector does not reside at the address given on the letter. The letter shall inform the person that all registrations relating to that person may be changed from eligible to ineligible status within 7 days unless the person contacts the office of the clerk to clarify the matter. A copy of the letter and of any subsequent information received from or about the addressee shall be sent to the district attorney for the county where the person resides and the commission.

(6) The municipal clerk may not disqualify an elector under this section except upon the grounds and in accordance with the procedures specified in s. 6.325.

(7) The commission may elect to perform the duties of municipal clerks to conduct the audits required under subs. (3) and (4) for any election on behalf of all municipalities in the state. If the commission so elects, the commission shall, no later than the date of the election for which the audits will be performed, notify the municipal clerk of each municipality that the commission will perform the audits.

History: 1975 c. 85, 199; 1977 c. 394; 1979 c. 260; 1983 a. 484; 1985 a. 304; 1989 a. 192; 2001 a. 51; 2003 a. 265; 2005 a. 451; 2007 a. 1; 2011 a. 23; 2015 a. 118 ss. 78, 266 (10).