Wis. Stat. § 8.35 — WI Code / Chapter 8 / Section 8.35
Vacancies after nomination.
Status: in_force

(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 nomination or who is nominated by write-in votes is deemed to decline nomination if he or she fails to file a declaration of candidacy within the time prescribed under sub. (2) (c) or s. 8.16 (2) .

(1m)

(a) A person who files nomination papers with the commission for an office other than district attorney to be filled at the general election does not qualify under sub. (1) to appear on the ballot at the partisan primary or general election, and the person’s name shall not appear on the ballot, if, no later than the 7th business day before the June 10 preceding the partisan primary or no later than the 7th business day before the 4th Tuesday in August preceding the general election, the person does all of the following:

1. Files with the commission the sworn statement and identity verification required under par. (b) .

2. Pays a fee of $2,500 to the commission if the person is a candidate for governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, state treasurer, attorney general, U.S. senator, or, with respect to the general election, president and vice president of the United States.

3. Pays a fee of $500 to the commission if the person is a candidate for U.S. representative in Congress.

4. Pays a fee of $250 to the commission if the person is a candidate for state senate or representative to the assembly.

(b)

1. Each person withdrawing his or her candidacy under par. (a) shall complete and file with the commission a sworn statement, which shall be notarized and made under oath, on a form prescribed by the commission attesting that the person withdraws his or her candidacy and that verifies the person’s identity, as provided in this paragraph. The form shall include a space for the candidate to state his or her reasons for withdrawing from candidacy, the date of completion of the form, the candidate’s printed name, the candidate’s signature, and the signature of the witness under subd. 2.

2. The candidate’s completion of the form required under subd. 1. shall be personally witnessed by a county clerk, county sheriff, or municipal chief of police in this state, who shall verify the candidate’s identity by means of an operator’s license issued under ch. 343 , an identification card issued under s. 343.50 , an identification card issued by a U.S. uniformed service, or a U.S. passport, except that the identity of a candidate for president or vice president who is not a resident of this state may be verified by means of a driver’s license or identification card issued by the candidate’s state of residence in lieu of such license or identification issued by this state. A copy of the candidate’s license, identification, or passport shall be submitted to the commission with the form required under subd. 1.

(c) A candidate’s withdrawal of his or her candidacy prior to the partisan primary or general election shall not alter the ballot order of the remaining candidates if upon the candidate’s compliance with pars. (a) and (b) the commission has already determined the ballot arrangement for the partisan primary or general election.

(d) No later than the 5th business day before the June 10 preceding the partisan primary or before the 4th Tuesday in August preceding the general election, the commission shall notify the county clerk in each affected county of any person who has withdrawn his or her candidacy by complying with pars. (a) and (b) .

(e) A presidential candidate’s withdrawal of his or her candidacy under pars. (a) and (b) constitutes a withdrawal of that candidate’s joint ticket for president and vice president of the United States.

(2)

(a) If a vacancy occurs after nomination due to the death of a candidate of a recognized political party for a partisan office, the vacancy may be filled by the chairperson of the committee of the proper political party under s. 7.38 , or the candidate committee, if any, in the case of independent candidates. Similar vacancies in nominations of candidates for nonpartisan local offices may be filled by a candidate committee or, if there is none, by the body which governs the local governmental unit in which the deceased person was a candidate for office. The chairperson, chief officer of the candidate committee, or clerk of the body making an appointment shall file a certificate of appointment with the official or agency with whom declarations of candidacy for the office are filed. For purposes of this paragraph, the official or agency need not recognize members of a candidate committee whose names were not filed under s. 11.0203 (1) (c) prior to the death of the candidate.

(b) If a vacancy in nomination occurs due to the death of a candidate, the officer or agency with whom nomination papers are filed for the office shall promptly notify the chairperson, committee or body, if any, that the vacancy may be filled within 4 days of the date of the notice, as shown by the postmark if the notice is mailed. The chairperson, committee or body may file a sworn certificate of nomination with the official or agency within the 4-day period.

(c) The official or agency with whom a proper certificate is filed under par. (b) shall promptly notify the candidate who is nominated and transmit to the candidate a declaration of candidacy form and, in the case of a candidate for state or local office, a registration statement form under s. 11.0203 (1) . No later than 5 p.m. on the 3rd day after notification of nomination is mailed or personally delivered to the new nominee by the official or agency, the nominee shall file a declaration of candidacy and, in the case of a candidate for state or local office, a registration statement under s. 11.0203 (1) . No later than 4:30 p.m. on the 3rd day after notification of nomination is mailed or personally delivered to a new nominee for state office or municipal judge by the official or agency, the nominee shall file a statement of economic interests under s. 19.43 (4) . If the nominee fails to file the declaration of candidacy, the official or agency may refuse to place the candidate’s name on the ballot. If the nominee fails to file the registration statement or statement of economic interests, the official or agency may not place the candidate’s name on the ballot.

(d) If the ballots have been prepared, the committees or body filling the vacancy shall supply stickers as provided under s. 7.38 (3) . No vacancy in a nomination occurs prior to the time of the primary election for an office, unless no primary is required for the office for which the nomination is made.

(e) This subsection does not apply in the event of the death of a candidate for nonpartisan office who has no opponent appearing on the election ballot.

(3) Whenever a nominee dies after the election ballots are prepared, and no nomination is made under this section, the votes cast for the deceased shall be counted and returned. If he or she receives a plurality of the votes cast, the vacancy shall be filled as in the case of a vacancy occurring by death after election.

(4)

(a)

1. When a candidate is appointed to fill a vacancy under this section, the funds remaining in the former candidate’s depository after payment of the former candidate’s lawful campaign debts, if any, shall be:

a. Donated to the former candidate’s local or state political party if the former candidate was a partisan candidate or donated to the charitable organization of the former candidate’s choice or the charitable organization chosen by the former candidate’s next of kin if the former candidate is deceased, or if no choice is made returned to the donors on a proportional basis; or

b. If the former candidate was a nonpartisan candidate, donated to the charitable organization of the former candidate’s choice or the charitable organization chosen by the former candidate’s next of kin if the former candidate is deceased; or

c. If no choice is made, returned to the donors on a proportional basis, with contributions which cannot be identified donated in accordance with subd. 1. a. or b.

2. A petitioner or personal representative may make the choice under subd. 1. a. or b. where subd. 1. c. applies.

(c) The treasurer of the former candidate’s committee shall submit to the appropriate filing officer a special report detailing the disposition of funds under par. (a) 1. If the former candidate is deceased and was serving as the treasurer of his or her own campaign committee, the former candidate’s petitioner or personal representative shall file the report. The report shall include a complete statement of all contributions, disbursements, and incurred obligations, pursuant to s. 11.0204 (1) , covering the period from the day after the last date covered on the former candidate’s most recent report to the date of disposition.

(d) The newly appointed candidate shall file his or her report at the next appropriate interval under s. 11.0204 after his or her appointment. The appointed candidate shall include any transferred funds in his or her first report.

(e) Any person who violates this subsection may be punished as provided under s. 11.1400 or 11.1401 .

History: 1973 c. 334 ; 1975 c. 93 ; 1977 c. 107 , 340 ; 1979 c. 110 s. 60 (11) ; 1979 c. 311 ; 1983 a. 484 ; 1985 a. 131 s. 3 ; 1985 a. 303 s. 88 ; 1985 a. 304 ; 1987 a. 391 ; 1993 a. 184 ; 1995 a. 225 ; 1999 a. 182 ; 2001 a. 109 ; 2005 a. 177 ; 2009 a. 89 ; 2011 a. 32 ; 2015 a. 117 ; 2025 a. 43 .