Wisconsin Question 1, Residency Requirement for Voter Registration Measure (1966)

Wisconsin Question 1
Election date November 8, 1966
Topic Residency voting requirements
Status Approved
Type Legislatively referred state statute	Origin State legislature

Wisconsin Question 1 was on the ballot as a legislatively referred state statute in Wisconsin on November 8, 1966. It was approved.

A "yes" vote supported allowing new state residents to vote six months after being in the state.

A "no" vote opposed allowing new state residents to vote six months after being in the state.

Election results

Wisconsin Question 1
Result		Votes	Percentage
Yes		582,389	69.44%
No		256,246	30.56%

Results are officially certified.

Source

Aftermath

• The law approved in this referendum was struck down as unconstitutional in a 1972 US Supreme Court ruling. A new residency requirement law went to the ballot in 1976.

Text of measure

Ballot title

The ballot title for Question 1 was as follows:

“

Shall Chapter 88 of the Laws of 1965, entitled 'An Act Relating to the Privilege of Voting in Wisconsin' be adopted?

”

Path to the ballot

In Wisconsin, a referred state statute is required for laws that extend "the right of suffrage to additional classes," per Article III, Section 2 of the Wisconsin Constitution. Before 1902, referred statutes were required for laws that affect banking.

A simple majority vote is required during two legislative sessions for the Wisconsin State Legislature to place a referred statute 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. Statutes require the governor's signature to be referred to the ballot.

See also

1966 Measures

• 1966 Measures
• Residency voting requirements on the ballot
• 1966 legislative sessions

Wisconsin

• Wisconsin ballot measures
• Wisconsin ballot measure laws

News and analysis

• Ballot measure lawsuits
• Ballot measure readability
• Ballot measure polls