Wisconsin Question 1, Prohibition on Convicted Persons Holding Office Amendment (1996)

Wisconsin Question 1
Election date November 5, 1996
Topic State legislative elections
Status Approved
Type Legislatively referred constitutional amendment	Origin State legislature

Wisconsin Question 1 was on the ballot as a legislatively referred constitutional amendment in Wisconsin on November 5, 1996. It was approved.

A “yes” vote supported amending the constitution to prohibit people convicted of a misdemeanor involving a violation of public trust or a felony from holding public office or appearing on a ballot for state or local office.

A “no” vote opposed amending the constitution to prohibit people convicted of a misdemeanor involving a violation of public trust or a felony from holding public office or appearing on a ballot for state or local office.

Election results

Wisconsin Question 1
Result		Votes	Percentage
Yes		1,292,934	70.40%
No		543,516	29.60%

Results are officially certified.

Source

Text of measure

Ballot title

The ballot title for Question 1 was as follows:

“

Eligibility of convicted persons to hold public office. Shall Section 3 of article XIII of the constitution be amended to prohibit a person from holding public office or from appearing on a ballot for state or local office if the person has been convicted of a misdemeanor involving a violation of public trust or a felony and the person has not been pardoned for the conviction?

”

Constitutional changes

Note: Hover over the text and scroll to see the full text.

(Note: Scored material would be added; stricken material would be deleted.)

[Article XIII] Section 3 (1) No member of congress, nor any and no person holding any office of profit or trust under the United States (postmasters excepted) except postmaster, or under any foreign power; no, shall be eligible to any office of trust, profit or honor in this state.
(2) No person convicted of any infamous crime a felony, in any court within the United States; and no person being a defaulter to the United States or to this state, or to any county or town therein, or to any state or territory within the United States, no person convicted in federal court of a crime designated, at the time of commission, under federal law as a misdemeanor involving a violation of public trust and no person convicted, in a court of a state, of a crime designated, at the time of commission, under the law of the state as a misdemeanor involving a violation of public trust shall be eligible to any office of trust, profit or honor in this state unless pardoned of the conviction.
(3) No person may seek to have placed on any ballot for a state or local elective office in this state the name of a person convicted of a felony, in any court within the United States, the name of a person convicted in federal court of a crime designated, at the time of commission, under federal law as a misdemeanor involving a violation of public trust or the name of a person convicted, in a court of a state, of a crime designated, at the time of commission, under the law of the state as a misdemeanor involving a violation of public trust, unless the person named for the ballot has been pardoned of the conviction.

Path to the ballot

See also: Amending the Wisconsin Constitution

A simple majority vote is required during two legislative sessions for the Wisconsin State Legislature to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot. That amounts to a minimum of 50 votes in the Wisconsin State Assembly and 17 votes in the Wisconsin State Senate, assuming no vacancies. Amendments do not require the governor's signature to be referred to the ballot.

See also

1996 Measures

• 1996 Measures
• State legislative elections on the ballot
• 1996 legislative sessions

Wisconsin

• Wisconsin ballot measures
• Wisconsin ballot measure laws

News and analysis

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