Notice of Location and Hours of Polling Place
At the partisan primary to be held on April 4, 2023, in the County of Oconto, the following polling place locations will be used for the wards indicated:
Town of Brazeau W1&2
Brooke Kriescher (920) 897-3855
10892 Parkway Road, Pound, WI 54161
All polling places will open at 7:00 A.M. and will close at 8:00 P.M.
All polling places are accessible to elderly and voters with disabilities*.
If you have any questions concerning your polling place, contact the municipal clerk.
Notice of Meeting of the Local and Municipal Board of Canvassers (MBOC)
At the close of voting on Election Day, pursuant to the provisions of Wis. Stat. § 19.84, the Election Inspectors will convene as a joint meeting of the Local Board of Canvassers and the MBOC for the purpose of conducting the local and municipal canvasses pursuant to Wis. Stat. §§7.51 and 7.53(1). This meeting will be open to the public pursuant to Wis. Stat. §§ 19.81-89.
Notice of Meeting of MBOC to Process Rehabilitated Provisional Ballots
If provisional ballots have been issued and are subsequently cured by the voter before 4:30 p.m. on the Friday after the election, the MBOC must meet no later than the following Monday at 9:00 a.m. to process the cured provisional ballots. This is a public meeting and requires applicable notice.
Notice of Referendum Election
APRIL 4, 2023
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that at an election to be held in the several towns, villages, wards, and election districts of the State of Wisconsin, on Tuesday, April 4, 2023, the following questions will be submitted to a vote of the people pursuant to law:
2023 ENROLLED JOINT RESOLUTION 2
To amend section 8 (2) of article I of the constitution;relating to: conditions for release prior to
conviction, including the imposition of bail (second consideration).
Whereas, the 2021 legislature in regular session considered a proposed amendment to the constitution in 2021 Assembly Joint Resolution 107, which became 2021 Enrolled Joint Resolution 6, and agreed to it by a majority of the members elected to each of the two houses, which proposed amendment reads as follows:
SECTION 1. Section 8 (2) of article I of the constitution is amended to read:
[ Article I] Section 8 (2) All persons, before conviction, shall be eligible for release under reasonable conditions designed to assure their appearance in court, protect members of the community from serious bodily harm as defined by the legislature by law, or prevent the intimidation of witnesses. Monetary conditions of release may be imposed at or after the initial appearance only upon a finding that there is a reasonable basis to believe that the conditions are necessary to assure appearance in court, or if the person is accused of a violent crime as defined by the legislature by law, only upon a finding that there is a reasonable basis to believe that the conditions are necessary based on the totality of the circumstances, taking into account whether the accused has a previous conviction for a violent crime as defined by the legislature by law, the probability that the accused will fail to appear in court, the need to protect members of the community from serious harm as defined by the legislature by law, the need to prevent the intimidation of witnesses. and the potential affirmative defenses of the accused. The legislature may authorize, by law, courts to revoke a person’s release for a violation of a condition of release.
Now, therefore, be it resolved by the senate, the assembly concurring, That the foregoing proposed amendment to the constitution is agreed to by the 2023 legislature; and, be it further
Resolved, That the foregoing proposed amendment to the constitution be submitted to a vote of the people at the election to be held on the first Tuesday of April, 2023; and, be it further
Resolved, That the question concerning ratification of the foregoing proposed amendment to the constitution be stated on the ballot as follows:
QUESTION 1: “Conditions of release before conviction. Shall section 8 (2) of article I of the constitution be amended to allow a court to impose on an accused person being released before conviction conditions that are designed to protect the community from serious harm?”
QUESTION 2: “Cash bail before conviction. Shall section 8 (2) of article I of the constitution be amended to allow a court to impose cash bail on a person accused of a violent crime based on the totality of the circumstances, including the accused’s previous convictions for a violent crime, the probability that the accused will fail to appear, the need to protect the community from serious harm and prevent witness intimidation, and potential affinitive defenses?”
EXPLANATION
1. Explanatory statement regarding Question 1:
Under the current Wisconsin Constitution, courts may impose reasonable conditions on the release of a criminal defendant before trial for three purposes: (1) to secure the defendant’s appearance in court; (2) to protect the community from “serious bodily harm;” and (3) to prevent intimidation of witnesses. Wis. Const. art. I, § 8(2).
Question 1 would change the language of the second factor from “serious bodily harm” to “serious harm as defined by the legislature by law.” The question would thus change the type of harm to the community that a court could seek to protect against. Because the term “serious harm” would be defined by the legislature by law, what it means could evolve over time depending on legislative enactments.
A “yes” vote on Question 1 would vote to amend Wis. Const. art. I, § 8(2) to allow a circuit court to impose release conditions based on the purpose of avoiding “serious harm as defined by the legislature” rather than “serious bodily harm.”
A “no” vote on Question 1 would vote not to amend Wis. Const. art. I, § 8(2) to change the term “serious bodily harm” as a factor for determining the conditions of a defendant’s pretrial release.
2. Explanatory statement regarding Question 2:
Question 2 would also change the language of Wis. Const. art. I, § 8(2), but in a different way from Question 1. Question 2 addresses the circuit court’s ability to impose the specific condition of monetary bail.
Currently, the Wisconsin Constitution allows a court to impose a monetary bail requirement only if the court finds a reasonable basis to believe that bail is necessary in order to secure the defendant’s appearance in court. Wis. Const. art. I, § 8(2).
Question 2 would expand the factors a circuit court may consider in imposing monetary bail. In cases where a defendant is accused of a “violent crime as defined by the legislature by law,” Question 2 would allow a court to impose monetary bail based on circumstances in addition to securing the defendant’s appearance in court, including accounting for a previous conviction for a violent crime, the need to protect the community from serious harm, preventing witness intimidation, and potential affirmative defenses the defendant might assert.
A “yes” vote on Question 2 would vote to amend Wis. Const. art. I, § 8(2) in cases where the defendant is accused of a violent crime to allow a court to utilize monetary bail for additional reasons in addition to securing the defendant’s appearance in court, including accounting for a previous conviction for a violent crime, the need to protect the community from serious harm, preventing witness intimidation, and accounting for the defendant’s affirmative defenses. Because the term “violent crime” would be defined by the legislature by law, what it means could evolve over time depending on legislative enactments.
A “no” vote on Question 2 would vote not to amend Wis. Const. art. I, § 8(2) to expand the factors a court considers in imposing monetary bail.
Notice of Spring Election and Sample Ballots
April 4, 2023
Office of the Oconto County Clerk
To the voters of Oconto County
Notice is hereby given of a spring election to be held in (insert name of county, town, village, city, or school district) on (insert full date of election), at which the officers named below shall be nominated. The names of the candidates for each office, whose nominations have been certified to or filed in this office, are given under the title of the office, each in its proper column, together with the questions submitted to a vote, for a referendum, if any, in the sample ballot below.
Information to Voters
Upon entering the polling place and before being permitted to vote, a voter shall:
*If a voter does not have acceptable photo identification, the voter may obtain a free photo ID for voting from the Division of Motor Vehicles.
**If the voter is unable to sign the poll book due to disability, a poll worker may write the word “exempt.”
Where ballots are distributed to voters, the initials of two inspectors must appear on the ballot.
Upon being permitted to vote, the voter shall enter a voting booth or go to a machine and cast their ballot. The vote should not be cast in any manner other than specified here. Sample ballots or other materials to assist the voter in marking their ballot may be taken into the booth and copied. The sample ballot shall not be shown to anyone so as to reveal how the ballot is marked.
A voter who is a parent or guardian may be accompanied by the voter’s minor child or minor ward.
An election official may inform the voter of the proper manner for casting a vote but the official may not advise or indicate a particular voting choice.
Assistance for Voting
A voter may select an individual to assist in casting their vote if the voter declares to the presiding official that they are unable to read, have difficulty reading, writing, or understanding English, or that due to disability are unable to cast their ballot. The selected individual rendering assistance may not be the voter’s employer or an agent of that employer or an officer or agent of a labor organization which represents the voter.
Where Paper Ballots are Used
The voter shall make a mark (X) in the square next to the name of the candidate of their choice for each office for which they intend to vote. To vote for a person whose name does not appear on the ballot, the voter shall write in the name of the person of their choice in the space provided for a write-in vote. On referendum questions, the voter shall make a mark (X) in the square next to “yes” if in favor of the question, or the voter shall make a mark (X) in the square next to “no” if opposed to the question.
Where Optical Scan Voting is Used
The voter shall fill in the oval or connect the arrow next to the name of the candidate of their choice for each office for which they intend to vote. To vote for a person whose name does not appear on the ballot, the voter shall write in the name of the person of their choice in the space provided for a write-in vote and fill in the oval or connect the arrow next to the write-in line. On referendum questions, the voter shall fill in the oval or connect the arrow next to “yes” if in favor of the question, or the voter shall fill in the oval or connect the arrow next to “no” if opposed to the question.
When using an electronic ballot marking device (“Automark,” “ExpressVote,” Clear Access or “ImageCast Evolution-ICE”) to mark an optical scan ballot, the voter shall touch the screen or use the tactile pad to select the name of the candidate of his or her choice for each office for which he or she intends to vote. To vote for a person whose name does not appear on the ballot, the voter shall type in the name of the person of his or her choice in the space provided for a write-in vote. On referendum questions, the voter shall touch the screen or use the tactile pad to select “yes” if in favor of the question, or the voter shall touch the screen or use the tactile pad to select “no” if opposed to the question.
Where Touch Screen Voting is Used
The voter shall touch the screen or us the tactile pad to select the name of the candidate of their choice for each office for which they intend to vote. To vote for a person whose name does not appear on the ballot, the voter shall type in the name of the person of their choice in the space provided for a write-in vote. On referendum questions, the voter shall touch the screen at “yes” if in favor of the question, or the voter shall touch the screen at “no” if opposed to the question.
After Voting the Ballot
After an official paper ballot is marked, it shall be folded so the inside marks do not show, but so the printed endorsements and inspectors’ initials on the outside do show. The voter shall deposit the voted ballot in the ballot box or deliver the ballot to an inspector for deposit and shall leave the polling place promptly.
After an official optical scan ballot is marked, it shall be inserted in the security sleeve, so the marks do not show. The voter may insert the ballot in the voting device and discard the sleeve or deliver the ballot to an inspector for deposit. If a central count system is used, the voter shall insert the ballot in the ballot box and discard the sleeve or deliver the ballot to an inspector for deposit. The voter shall leave the polling place promptly.
After an official touch screen ballot is cast, the voter shall leave the polling place promptly.
Spoiling Ballots
If a voter spoils a paper or optical scan ballot, they shall return it to an election official who shall issue another ballot in its place, but not more than three ballots shall be issued to any one voter. If the ballot has not been initialed by two inspectors or is defective in any other way, the voter shall return it to the election official who shall issue a proper ballot in its place.
The voter may spoil a touch screen ballot at the voting station before the ballot is cast.
The following is a list of contests, ballot candidates, and a sample of the official ballot published in accordance with state statute. Each polling location will have samples of official ballots specific to that location posted. Please visit https://myvote.wi.gov/en-us/ for more information.
Done in the City of Oconto on March 21, 2023
Kim Pytleski, Oconto County Clerk
301 Washington Street
Oconto, Wisconsin 54153
920-834-6800
All Oconto County Voters will vote for:
Sample Ballot for My Next Election-Oconto Falls School District
Justice Of The Supreme Court
Vote For One
Janet C. Protasiewicz
Daniel Kelly
Write In
Oconto County Circuit Court Judge Branch 1
Vote For One
Michael T. Judge
Write In
Brazeau Town Board Chairperson
Vote For One
Ryan Wendt
Write In
Brazeau Town Board Supervisor
Vote For Not More Than Two
Craig Kasten
John A Fetterly
Write In
Write In
Oconto Falls Public School District School Board Member
Vote For Not More Than Two
Emilie Trudell
Ginny O’Harrow
Carrie Hill
Write In
Write In
State of Wisconsin Conditions of Release Before Conviction Referendum – Question 1
Vote for one
QUESTION 1: “Conditions of release before conviction. Shall section 8 (2) of article I of the constitution be amended to allow a court to impose on an accused person being released before conviction conditions that are designed to protect the community from serious harm?”
Yes
No
State of Wisconsin Cash Bail Before Conviction Referendum – Question 2
Vote for one
QUESTION 2: “Cash bail before conviction. Shall section 8 (2) of article I of the constitution be amended to allow a court to impose cash bail on a person accused of a violent crime based on the totality of the circumstances, including the accused’s previous convictions for a violent crime, the probability that the accused will fail to appear, the need to protect the community from serious harm and prevent witness intimidation, and potential affirmative defenses?”
Yes
No
State of Wisconsin Welfare Benefits Referendum – Question 3
Vote for one
QUESTION 3: “Shall able-bodied, childless adults be required to look for work in order to receive taxpayer-funded welfare benefits?”
Yes
No
Sample Ballot for My Next Election-Coleman School District
Justice Of The Supreme Court
Vote For One
Janet C. Protasiewicz
Daniel Kelly
Write In
Oconto County Circuit Court Judge Branch 1
Vote For One
Michael T. Judge
Write In
Brazeau Town Board Chairperson
Vote For One
Ryan Wendt
Write In
Brazeau Town Board Supervisor
Vote For Not More Than Two
Craig Kasten
John A Fetterly
Write In
Write In
Oconto Falls Public School District School Board Member
Vote For Not More Than Two
Emilie Trudell
Ginny O’Harrow
Carrie Hill
Write In
Write In
State of Wisconsin Conditions of Release Before Conviction Referendum – Question 1
Vote for one
QUESTION 1: “Conditions of release before conviction. Shall section 8 (2) of article I of the constitution be amended to allow a court to impose on an accused person being released before conviction conditions that are designed to protect the community from serious harm?”
Yes
No
State of Wisconsin Cash Bail Before Conviction Referendum – Question 2
Vote for one
QUESTION 2: “Cash bail before conviction. Shall section 8 (2) of article I of the constitution be amended to allow a court to impose cash bail on a person accused of a violent crime based on the totality of the circumstances, including the accused’s previous convictions for a violent crime, the probability that the accused will fail to appear, the need to protect the community from serious harm and prevent witness intimidation, and potential affirmative defenses?”
Yes
No
State of Wisconsin Welfare Benefits Referendum – Question 3
Vote for one
QUESTION 3: “Shall able-bodied, childless adults be required to look for work in order to receive taxpayer-funded welfare benefits?”
Yes
No
VOTING BY ABSENTEE BALLOT
Any qualified elector who is unable or unwilling to appear at the polling place on Election Day may submit a request to vote an absentee ballot to their municipal clerk. A qualified elector is any U.S. citizen who:
- will be 18 years of age or older on Election Day.
- has resided in the ward or municipality where they wish to vote for at least 28 consecutive days before the election.
The elector must also be registered to vote to receive an absentee ballot. Proof of identification must be provided before an absentee ballot may be issued*.
Making application to receive an absentee ballot by mail
Contact your municipal clerk and request that an application for an absentee ballot be sent to you for the primary or election or both. You may make written application to your municipal clerk for an absentee ballot in person, by mail, by fax, by email or at MyVote.wi.gov.
Your written request must include:
- your voting address within the municipality where you wish to vote
- the address where the absentee ballot should be sent, if different from the address above
- your signature
- a copy of your photo identification*
The deadline for making application to receive an absentee ballot by mail is:
5:00 p.m. on the fifth day before the election, March 30, 2023**.
*Voters who are indefinitely confined due to age, illness, infirmity, or disability may not be required to provide photo ID. If this applies to you, contact the municipal clerk regarding deadlines for requesting and submitting an absentee ballot.
**Special absentee voting application provisions apply to electors who are indefinitely confined, in the military, hospitalized, or serving as a sequestered juror. If this applies to you, contact the municipal clerk regarding deadlines for requesting and submitting an absentee ballot.
Voting an absentee ballot in person
You may also request and vote an absentee ballot in the clerk’s office or other specified location during the days and hours specified for casting an absentee ballot in person.
Town of Brazeau
Brooke Kriescher (920) 897-3855
10892 Parkway Road, Pound, WI 54161
The first day to vote an absentee ballot in the clerk’s office is: Tuesday, March 21, 2023***
***Absentee voting is by appointment only unless noted above.
The last day to vote an absentee ballot in the clerk’s office is: Thursday, March 30, 2023 at 12 p.m.
No in-person absentee voting may occur on the day before the election. The municipal clerk will deliver voted ballots returned on or before Election Day to the proper polling place or counting location before the polls close on Tuesday, April 4, 2023. Any ballots received after the polls close will not be counted.