Wisconsin Statutes & Annotations
Chapter 5 - Elections — general provisions; ballots and voting systems.
5.58 - Spring primary ballots.

5.58 Spring primary ballots.
(1a) Generally. At spring primary elections the ballots under subs. (1b) to (2m), when necessary, shall be provided for each ward, except as authorized in s. 5.655. Only nonpartisan candidates nominated for office by nomination papers shall have their names placed on the official spring primary ballot under the proper office designation, but the ballots shall allow room for write-in candidates.
(1b) Municipal; county supervisor ballots.
(am) There shall be separate ballots for municipal and county primaries, except as authorized in s. 5.655.
(bm) For all cities the official spring primary ballot shall be arranged by the municipal clerk, using the same method as that used by the commission under s. 5.60 (1) (b).
(cm) Towns and villages holding a primary under s. 8.05 shall arrange the ballot in accordance with the form prescribed by the commission under s. 7.08 (1) (a), which shall be the same form as provided in s. 5.60 (5) and (6), insofar as possible.
(1c) Municipal judge. There shall be a separate ballot for municipal judges if they are elected under s. 755.01 (4), except as authorized in s. 5.655. Arrangement of the names on the ballot shall be determined by the county clerk or the executive director of the county board of election commissioners of the county having the largest portion of the population in the jurisdiction served by the judge.
(1g) School district.
(a) There shall be a separate ballot for school district officers when so required, except as authorized in s. 5.655.
(b) In 1st class cities, the names of the candidates for the seat of the member elected at-large to the board of school directors shall be placed on the official city primary ballot and, except as authorized in s. 5.655, there shall be a separate ballot giving the names of the candidates for any seat to be filled on the board of school directors from any election district. All names of candidates for the at-large seat shall be placed in one or more separate columns or rows on the ballot.
(c) The arrangement of candidates for school board seats shall be determined by the school district clerk or the executive director of the city board of election commissioners by the drawing of lots not later than the 2nd Tuesday in January, or the next day if the first Tuesday is a holiday. The method of determining arrangement shall be the same as provided in s. 5.60 (1) (b). Sufficient space shall be provided on the ballot for write-in candidates.
(1r) Town sanitary district commission. There shall be a separate ballot for members of the town sanitary district commission if commissioners are elected under s. 60.74 and the boundaries of the district are not coterminous with one or more towns, except as authorized in s. 5.655. Candidates for different seats shall be listed in separate columns or rows if more than one seat is contested in any election. Arrangement of the names on the ballot shall be determined by the town clerk of the town whose board of supervisors directs the election, in the same manner as provided in s. 5.60 (1) (b).
(2) State superintendent of public instruction; judiciary; county executive; county comptroller; and county supervisors. There shall be one separate ballot for state superintendent, judicial officers, county executive under s. 59.17, and county supervisor, except as authorized in s. 5.655. In counties having a population of 750,000 or more, the ballot shall also include the office of comptroller and those offices under s. 8.11 (2) (b) and (2m). The arrangement of names of candidates for state superintendent, justice, court of appeals judge, and circuit court judge shall be determined by the commission in the manner specified in s. 5.60 (1) (b). Arrangement of the names of candidates for county executive, county comptroller, and county supervisor shall be determined by the county clerk or by the executive director of the county board of election commissioners in the manner specified in s. 5.60 (1) (b).
(2m) Metropolitan sewerage commission. Except as authorized in s. 5.655, there shall be a separate ballot for members of the metropolitan sewerage commission if commissioners are elected under s. 200.09 (11) (am), with candidates for different seats listed in separate columns or rows if more than one seat is contested at any election. Arrangement of the names on the ballot shall be determined by the elections commission.
(3) Names on spring ballot. Only 2 candidates for state superintendent, for any judicial office, for any elected seat on a metropolitan sewerage commission or town sanitary district commission, in counties having a population of 750,000 or more, only 2 candidates for the office of comptroller and only 2 candidates for member of the board of supervisors within each district, in counties having a population of less than 750,000 only 2 candidates for each member of the county board of supervisors from each district or numbered seat or only 4 candidates for each 2 members of the county board of supervisors from each district whenever 2 supervisors are elected to unnumbered seats from the same district, in 1st class cities only 2 candidates for any at-large seat and only 2 candidates from any election district to be elected to the board of school directors, in school districts electing school board members to numbered seats, or pursuant to an apportionment plan or district representation plan, only 2 school board candidates for each numbered seat or within each district, and twice as many candidates as are to be elected members of other school boards or other elective officers receiving the highest number of votes at the primary shall be nominees for the office at the spring election. Only their names shall appear on the official spring ballot.
History: 1971 c. 304 ss. 6 to 8, 29 (2); 1973 c. 134, 243; 1973 c. 334 s. 57 (2); 1973 c. 340; 1975 c. 93; 1977 c. 187, 272, 445, 449; 1979 c. 32, 221, 260; 1981 c. 20, 377; 1983 a. 484; 1983 a. 532 s. 36; 1985 a. 29 s. 3202 (56); 1985 a. 89, 225; 1985 a. 304 ss. 27, 27m, 155; 1989 a. 192, 290; 1991 a. 5; 1993 a. 266; 1995 a. 16 s. 2; 1995 a. 27 s. 9145 (1); 1995 a. 201, 219; 1997 a. 35; 1999 a. 150 s. 672; 1999 a. 182; 2003 a. 24 ss. 3, 4; 2005 a. 149; 2011 a. 45, 62; 2015 a. 118 ss. 63, 64, 266 (10); 2017 a. 207.

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