(The Center Square) – Anyone who wants to collect signatures for political candidates in Wisconsin must now live in Wisconsin.
Gov. Tony Evers signed a new law that creates a residency requirement for signature gatherers.
The law follows 2024’s failed recall against Assembly Speaker Robin Vos. In that race, out-of-state crews gathered signatures from voters to try and oust Vos. But many of the people gathering the signatures, and many of the people who signed the recall petitions, were not from Vos’ district or even Wisconsin.
The Wisconsin Elections Commission earlier this month recommended charges against 13 people who gathered those signatures.
State Rep. Jim Hubertus, said requiring the people involved in Wisconsin’s elections be from Wisconsin is a common sense, election integrity issue.
“[The new law is] an important step toward strengthening the integrity of Wisconsin’s election process. This legislation ensures that individuals circulating nomination papers and recall petitions are qualified Wisconsin electors – people who live here, vote here, and have a direct stake in our communities,” he said.
There are exceptions in the new law that allow for people from outside of Wisconsin to get signatures for presidential and vice-presidential candidates. But the law makes it clear that people gathering voter signatures for local and state elections must be from the state.
“This is a commonsense reform,” Piwowarczyk added. “By ensuring that those gathering signatures are Wisconsin residents, we are reinforcing accountability and maintaining public confidence in our elections.”
The proposal passed on a voice vote in the Assembly but faced a party-line vote in the Senate. Senators approved it in February.
