Wisconsin Statutes & Annotations
Chapter 11 - Campaign financing.
11.0103 - Reporting; general.

11.0103 Reporting; general.
(1) Report must be complete.
(a) Each committee and conduit required to register under this chapter shall be subject to the reporting requirements applicable to that committee or conduit. Each committee and conduit required to file a report under this chapter shall make a good faith effort to obtain all required information.
(b) Failure to receive a form or notice from a filing officer does not exempt a committee or conduit from a reporting requirement under this chapter.
(2) Contributions; when received; when reported.
(a)
1. A contribution is received by a candidate committee for purposes of this chapter when it is under the control of the candidate or the treasurer or agent of the candidate.
2. A contribution is received by a committee for purposes of this chapter when it is under the control of the treasurer or agent of the committee.
(b) Unless it is returned or donated within 15 days of receipt under par. (a), a contribution must be reported as received on the date received.
(3) Contents of report; filing dates; certification; short form; contents.
(a) A committee shall begin each report filed under this chapter with the first contribution received, disbursement made, or obligation incurred during the reporting period, and shall include all contributions received, disbursements made, and obligations incurred as of the end of:
1. The 15th day preceding the primary or election in the case of the preprimary and preelection report.
2. The last day of the immediately preceding month in the case of a continuing report required under this chapter.
3. The 22nd day following the special election in the case of a postelection report required under this chapter.
4. September 23 in the case of a September report required under this chapter.
(b) Each committee shall ensure that each report is filed with the appropriate filing officer on the dates designated in this chapter. In the event that any report is required to be filed under this chapter on a nonbusiness day, a committee may file the report on the next business day thereafter.
(c)
1. Except as provided in subd. 2., the committee's treasurer shall certify to the correctness of each report filed under this chapter.
2. Either the candidate or the treasurer of the candidate's committee shall certify to the correctness of each report filed under this chapter.
(d) The commission shall prescribe a simplified, short form for compliance with this section by a committee treasurer who has not engaged in any financial transaction since the last date included on the treasurer's preceding report.
(4) Preprimary and preelection reports; inactivity.
(a) A contribution made or accepted, a disbursement made, or an obligation incurred to support or oppose a candidate at a primary that is made, accepted, or incurred during the period covered by the preprimary report is considered to be made, accepted, or incurred to support or oppose that candidate at the primary, regardless of whether the candidate is opposed at the primary.
(b) A contribution made or accepted, disbursement made, or obligation incurred to support or oppose a candidate at an election that is made, accepted, or incurred during the period covered by the preelection report is considered to be made, accepted, or incurred to support or oppose that candidate at the election, regardless of whether the candidate is opposed at the election.
(c)
1.
a. Except as provided in subd. 2., a committee that makes or accepts a contribution, makes a disbursement, or incurs an obligation to support or oppose a candidate at a primary during the period covered by the preelection report, but does not engage in such activity during the period covered by the preprimary report, is not required to file a preprimary report.
b. Except as provided in subd. 2., a committee that makes or accepts a contribution, makes a disbursement, or incurs an obligation to support or oppose a candidate at an election during the period covered by the report that follows the preelection report, but does not engage in such activity during the period covered by the preelection report, is not required to file a preelection report.
2. A candidate committee that makes or accepts a contribution, makes a disbursement, or incurs an obligation to support or oppose a candidate at a primary during the period covered by the preprimary report shall file both the preprimary and preelection reports, regardless of whether the candidate committee engages in such activity during the period covered by the preelection report.
(5) Nonresident reporting. Notwithstanding the reporting requirements that would otherwise apply under this chapter, but subject to the applicable thresholds for submitting reports, a committee that does not maintain an office or a street address in this state shall submit reports on a form prescribed by the commission of all disbursements made and obligations incurred with respect to an election for a state or local office in this state and contributions from sources in this state.
History: 2015 a. 117 ss. 24, 74 (1m); 2021 a. 265.
A minor political party that historically has been the object of harassment by government officials and private parties cannot be required to disclose the identities of contributors and recipients of campaign disbursements. Brown v. Socialist Workers '74 Campaign Committee, 459 U.S. 87, 103 S. Ct. 416, 74 L. Ed. 2d 250 (1982). See also Wisconsin Socialist Workers 1976 Campaign Committee v. McCann, 433 F. Supp. 540 (1977).

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