Chapter 17 — RESIGNATIONS, VACANCIES, AND REMOVALS FROM OFFICE

17.001 Definition. In this chapter, unless qualified, “cause” means inefficiency, neglect of duty, official misconduct, or malfeasance in office. History: 2001 a. 103 s. 21.

17.01 Resignations to whom made; when effective. Resignations of public officers shall be made as follows: (1) By the governor, lieutenant governor or any officer appointed by the legislature, to the legislature, if in session; otherwise by the governor or lieutenant governor, to…

17.015 Municipal judge: multiple resignations. If a municipal judge is elected under s. 755.01 (4), the judge shall submit resignations to each applicable officer or board under s. 17.01. History: 1985 a. 89.

17.02 Notice of resignations. Notice of resignations, in addition to those provided for in s. 17.01, shall be given forthwith as follows: May 22, 2026, are designated by NOTES. (Published 5-22-26) 17.02 RESIGNATIONS, VACANCIES, REMOVALS (1) SENATORS AND MEMBERS OF CONGRESS. Of th…

17.025 Temporary vacancies. (1) EXISTENCE. Whenever the duly qualified incumbent of an office enumerated in sub. (4) is found to be unable to perform all of the functions of the office by incapacitation caused by illness or injury of any nature, a temporary vacancy exists. (2) HO…

17.03 Vacancies, how caused. Except as otherwise provided, a public office is vacant when: (1) The incumbent dies. (2) The incumbent resigns. (3) The incumbent is removed. (4) The incumbent ceases to be a resident of: (a) This state; or (b) If the office is legislative, the distr…

17.035 Vacancies; military leaves. (1) If an elected or appointed official or employee of any city, village, town or school district however organized shall enter the armed forces of the United States and shall remove himself or herself temporarily from the municipality or distri…

17.05 Governor may declare vacancies. The governor may declare vacant the office of any state officer required by law to execute an official bond whenever a judgment is obtained against such officer for a breach of the conditions of such bond.

17.06 Removal of state officers; impeachment; address. (1) Any civil officer of this state may be removed from office by impeachment for corrupt conduct in office, or for crimes and misdemeanors as provided in article VII, section 1, of the constitution; and any supreme court jus…

17.07 Removals; legislative and appointive state officers. Removals from office of legislative and appointive state officers may be made as follows: (1) Officers elected by either house of the legislature, by the house that elected them, at pleasure. (2) State officers appointed …

17.08 Suspension of receiver of moneys. (1) The governor may summarily suspend from office any appointive state officer who collects, receives or handles public moneys, if it appears to the governor by reason of action, proceedings, charges or credible information that the office…

17.09 Removal of elective county officers. Elective county officers may be removed from office as follows: (1) COUNTY CLERK; TREASURER; SURVEYOR; SUPERVISOR. The county clerk, county treasurer or surveyor, or a county supervisor, by the county board, for cause, by a vote of two-t…

17.11 Suspension of district attorney or sheriff. (1) If any district attorney or sheriff is arrested for or charged with any offense against the laws of this state, or if the governor is credibly informed that any district attorney or sheriff is guilty of any offense against the…

17.12 Removal and suspension of city officers. (1) GENERAL AND SPECIAL CHARTER. Officers of cities, except public officials, as defined in s. 62.51 (1) (b), operating under the general law or under special charter including school officers, may be removed as follows: (a) Elective…

17.13 Removal of village, town, town sanitary district, school district, and technical college officers. Officers of towns, town sanitary districts, villages, school districts, and technical college districts may be removed as follows: (1) APPOINTIVE OFFICERS. Except as provided …

17.14 Removal; assessors; boards of review; county boards; procedure. Any assessor and any member of a board of review or of a county board of supervisors, in addition to being removable as otherwise provided, may be removed by the circuit court for the county of the assessor or …

17.16 Removals; definition; procedure; disqualification. (1) Removals from office at pleasure shall be made by order, a copy of which shall be filed as provided by sub. (8), except that a copy of the order of removal of a circuit court commissioner shall be filed in the office of…

17.17 Notice of vacancies. Notice of vacancies occurring otherwise than by resignation shall be given forthwith as follows: (1) SENATORS AND MEMBERS OF CONGRESS. In the office of United States senator or member of congress from this state, by the county clerk of the county wherei…

17.18 Vacancies, U.S. senator and representative in congress; how filled. Vacancies in the office of U.S. senator or representative in congress from this state shall be filled by election, as provided in s. 8.50 (4) (b), for the residue of the unexpired term. History: 1977 c. 22;…

17.19 Vacancies, elective state offices; how filled. Vacancies in elective state offices shall be filled as follows: (1) MEMBERS OF LEGISLATURE. In the office of state senator or representative to the assembly, by election, as provided in s. 8.50, for the residue of the unexpired…

17.20 (2) and the appointee files the required oath of office, the appointee qualifies for office, unless the appointment is withdrawn or rejected. Delivery of a resignation shall be made by leaving a copy thereof with the officer to whom it is required to be addressed and delive…

17.21 Vacancies in elective county offices; how filled; term. Vacancies in elective county offices shall be filled in the manner and for terms as follows: (1) SHERIFF, CORONER, REGISTER OF DEEDS. In the office of sheriff, coroner or register of deeds, by appointment by the govern…

17.22 Vacancies in appointive county offices; how filled. (1) Vacancies in any appointive county office shall be filled by appointment for the residue of the unexpired term by the appointing power and in the manner prescribed by law for making regular full term appointments there…

17.23 Vacancies in city offices; how filled. (1) GENERAL AND SPECIAL CHARTER CITIES. (am) Except as provided in sub. (1b) and s. 9.10, vacancies in offices of mayor or alderperson of cities operating under the general law or special charter may be filled by the common council, by…

17.24 Vacancies in village offices. Except as provided in s. 9.10, a vacancy in any elective village office may be filled by appointment by a majority of the members of the village board for the residue of the unexpired term or until a special election is held, as ordered by the …

17.245 New city, village or town office, filling. Whenever an elective office is created in a city, village or town pursuant to law or ordinance, the office shall not be deemed vacant until it has first been filled by the electorate, except that if a city, village May 22, 2026, a…

17.25 Vacancies in town offices; how filled. Vacancies in town offices shall be filled as follows: (1) (a) 1. In the town board, by the remaining supervisors and the town clerk, except when a special election is authorized under subd. 2. and par. (d) or as provided in s. 9.10, an…

17.26 Vacancies in school boards; how filled. (1g) Except as provided in s. 9.10, vacancies in a school board shall be filled as follows: (a) Except as provided in sub. (1m), in a common, union high, 10 or unified school district, by appointment by the remaining members. An appoi…

17.275 Records of applicants for elective positions. Unless otherwise directed under s. 19.36 (7), no appointing authority or individual acting on behalf of an appointing authority may withhold from inspection or copying under s. 19.35 (1) any record of the name or address of an …

17.28 When officers may hold office. When no different provision is made in respect thereto, any officer who is elected or appointed to fill a vacancy shall qualify in the manner required by law of the officer in whose stead the officer is elected or appointed. An officer who is …

17.285 Temporary vacancies; elections. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, if a vacancy in an elective office occurs as a result of expiration of the term of an incumbent and a successor has not been determined due to the pendency of a recount or an appeal from a recount …

17.29 Effect of chapter. The provisions of this chapter supersede all contrary provisions in either the general law or in special acts, except ss. 6.55 (6), 6.875, and 7.30 relating to appointed election officials and ch. 321 relating to the military staff of the governor and to …