Wisconsin Question 2, Overseas Voting Rights Question (1978)

Wisconsin Question 2
Election date November 7, 1978
Topic Residency voting requirements
Status Approved
Type Legislatively referred state statute	Origin State legislature

Wisconsin Question 2 was on the ballot as a legislatively referred state statute in Wisconsin on November 7, 1978. It was approved.

A "yes" vote supported permitting all U.S. citizens who live overseas to vote in federal elections in Wisconsin if it was their last state of residency.

A "no" vote opposed permitting all U.S. citizens who live overseas to vote in federal elections in Wisconsin if it was their last state of residency.

Election results

Wisconsin Question 2
Result		Votes	Percentage
Yes		658,289	55.68%
No		524,029	44.32%

Results are officially certified.

Source

Text of measure

Ballot title

The ballot title for Question 2 was as follows:

“

Shall state law be amended to permit U.S. citizens who are living in a foreign country to vote in federal elections in Wisconsin if they last resided in this state before leaving this country, as required by federal law?

”

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

1978 Measures

• 1978 Measures
• Residency voting requirements on the ballot
• 1978 legislative sessions

Wisconsin

• Wisconsin ballot measures
• Wisconsin ballot measure laws

News and analysis

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