Chapter 8 — NOMINATIONS, PRIMARIES, ELECTIONS

8.01 Method of nomination. Candidates for elective office shall be nominated according to this chapter.

8.02 Nomination paper circulation date. Whenever a specific date is not given to begin circulation of nomination papers, the first day for circulation shall be the first day of the month one month prior to the month in which the filing deadline is scheduled. Signatures shall not …

8.03 Multiple nominations. (1) The name of any candidate who is nominated to the same office by more than one party or primary or nominated for more than one partisan or state nonpartisan office shall appear under the party first nominating him or her or under the office to which…

8.04 Nomination paper signatures. If any person signs nomination papers for 2 candidates for the same office in the same election at different times, the earlier signature is valid and the later signature is invalid. If any person circulates a nomination paper for 2 candidates fo…

8.05 Nomination in towns and villages. Every candidate for an elective office in a town or village shall be nominated under this section. (1) CAUCUS. (a) When nomination papers are not used, there shall be a caucus to nominate candidates. The governing body shall between December…

8.06 Special elections may be called. Towns, cities, villages, and, subject to ss. 67.05 (6a) (a) 2. and 121.91 (3) (a), school districts, may call special elections for any purpose authorized by law. If an election is called for a special referendum, the election shall be notice…

8.07 Validity of nomination papers. The commission shall promulgate rules under this chapter for use by election officials in determining the validity of nomination papers and signatures thereon. History: 1983 a. 484; 1989 a. 359; 2015 a. 118 s. 266 (10). Cross-reference: See als…

8.10 Nominations for spring election. (1) Candidates for office to be filled at the spring election shall be nominated by nomination papers, or by nomination papers and selection at the primary if a primary is held, except as provided for towns and villages under s. 8.05. Unless …

8.11 Spring primary. (1) CITY. (a) A primary may be held in any city for the nomination of candidates for city office. When a majority of all the members of the governing body of a city decide upon a spring primary for any specific election, they shall so provide not later than 3…

8.12 Presidential preference vote. (1) SELECTION OF NAMES FOR BALLOT. (a) No later than 5 p.m. on the 2nd Tuesday in December of the year before each year in which electors for president and vice president are to be elected, the state chairperson of each recognized political part…

8.125 Accessibility of presidential caucuses. Any political party which holds a caucus open to the public for the purpose of selecting delegates to the national presidential nominating convention of the party shall hold the caucus in a place which is accessible to persons in whee…

8.13 Commission city primary. At the first primary after adoption of the commission form of government the 2 candidates for mayor and the 4 candidates for council members receiving the highest number of votes shall be nominated. At subsequent primaries the 2 candidates receiving …

8.15 Nominations for partisan primary. (1) Nomination papers may be circulated no sooner than April 15 preceding the general election and may be filed no later than 5 p.m. on June 1 preceding the partisan primary, except as authorized in this subsection. If an incumbent fails to …

8.16 Partisan nominations. (1) Except as provided in sub. (2), the person who receives the greatest number of votes for an office on a party ballot at any partisan primary, regardless of whether the person’s name appears on the ballot, shall be the party’s candidate for the offic…

8.17 Political party committees. (1) (a) Political parties qualifying for a separate ballot under s. 5.62 (1) (b) or (2) shall elect their party committeemen and committeewomen as provided under sub. (5) (b). The function of committeemen and committeewomen is to represent their n…

8.18 (2) by each party entitled to a partisan primary ballot shall be the party’s candidates for president, vice president and presidential electors. The state or national chairperson of each such party shall certify the names of the party’s nominees for president and vice presid…

8.185 Write-in candidates for president and vice president. (1) The names of candidates for president and vice president may be written in, in the place provided, on the general ballot at the general election for choosing the president and vice president of the United States. Wri…

8.19 Party name. (1) The state committee of any party polling less than 75,000 presidential votes in this state in the last election may change the name of the party. The new name may not duplicate that of an existing national party. A certificate of approval by the party’s natio…

8.20 Nomination of independent candidates. (1) Independent nominations may be made for any office to be voted for at any general or partisan special election. May 22, 2026, are designated by NOTES. (Published 5-22-26) 8.20 NOMINATIONS, PRIMARIES, ELECTIONS (2) (a) Nomination is b…

8.21 Declaration of candidacy. (1) Each candidate, except a candidate for presidential elector under s. 8.20 (2) (d), shall file a declaration of candidacy, no later than the latest time pro- May 22, 2026, are designated by NOTES. (Published 5-22-26) 11 Updated 23-24 Wis. Stats. …

8.25 Election of state and federal officers. (1) PRESIDENTIAL ELECTORS. By general ballot at the general election for choosing the president and vice president of the United States there shall be elected as many electors of president and vice president as this state is entitled t…

8.28 Challenge to residency qualifications. (1) Any individual who believes that an individual holding or elected to state or local office is not a resident or inhabitant of this state or of the jurisdiction or district in which he or she serves, whenever such qualification is re…

8.30 Candidates ineligible for ballot placement. (1) Except as otherwise provided in this section, the official or agency with whom declarations of candidacy are required to be filed may refuse to place the candidate’s name on the ballot if any of the following apply: (a) The nom…

8.35 Vacancies after nomination. (1) Any person who files nomination papers and qualifies to appear on the ballot may not decline nomination. The name of that person shall appear upon the ballot except in case of death of the person. A person who is appointed to fill a vacancy in…

8.37 Filing of referenda petitions or questions. Unless otherwise required by law, all proposed constitutional amendments and any other measure or question that is to be submitted to a vote of the people, or any petitions requesting that a measure or question be submitted to a vo…

8.40 Petition requirements. (1) In addition to any other requirements provided by law, each separate sheet of each peti- NOMINATIONS, PRIMARIES, ELECTIONS 8.50 tion for an election, including a referendum, shall have on the face at the top in boldface print the word “PETITION”. E…

8.50 Special elections. Unless otherwise provided, this section applies to filling vacancies in the U.S. senate and house of representatives, executive state offices except the offices of governor, lieutenant governor, and district attorney, judicial and legislative state offices…

8.55 Special referenda. (1) Whenever a special referendum is called, the clerk of the jurisdiction which calls the special referendum shall publish a type A notice of the special referendum on the 4th Tuesday preceding the special referendum. (2) The clerk of the jurisdiction whi…