Wisconsin Question 3, Work Requirement for Welfare Benefits Advisory Question (April 2023)

Wisconsin Question 3
Election date April 4, 2023
Topic Welfare
Status a Approved
Type Advisory question

The Wisconsin Question 3, the Work Requirement for Welfare Benefits Advisory Question, was on the ballot in Wisconsin as a advisory question on April 4, 2023. It was approved.

A "yes" vote supported advising the state legislature to require "able-bodied, childless adults... to look for work in order to receive taxpayer-funded welfare benefits."

A "no" vote opposed advising the state legislature to require "able-bodied, childless adults... to look for work in order to receive taxpayer-funded welfare benefits."

Election results

Wisconsin Question 3
Result		Votes	Percentage
Yes		1,417,035	79.57%
No		363,941	20.43%

Results are officially certified.

Source

Overview

What did the question advise the state to do?

See also: Text of measure

The advisory question asked voters if able-bodied childless adults should be required to look for work in order to receive welfare benefits. The question was not legally binding and did not enact a work requirement law for welfare benefits.

At the time of the election, state law required able-bodied individuals without dependents to look for work in order to receive unemployment insurance. There was also a work requirement for Wisconsin's food stamp program, Wisconsin Foodshare, but the requirement had been waived since October 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Who supported and opposed the advisory question?

See also: Support and Opposition

The question was introduced by Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu (R-9). Foundation for Government Accountability also supported the measure. Sam Adolphsen, policy director of the Foundation for Government Accountability, said, "The workforce crisis in the Badger State has been driven largely by rapidly expanding welfare programs like food stamps, BadgerCare, and other cash benefits that, for three years, have been disconnected from work. Wisconsin has nearly a quarter million open jobs. Employers are desperate for workers, and voters will soon weigh in on whether they prefer able-bodied adults to be working for a paycheck or receiving a welfare check."

Senate Minority Leader Melissa Agard (D-16) spoke in opposition to the question, saying, "Their resolution, simply put, attacks low-income people in the state of Wisconsin, and it's born out of a consideration to their base for the spring election. They're trying to gin up their voters, simply put."

Text of measure

Ballot title

The ballot title was as follows:

“

Shall able-bodied, childless adults be required to look for work in order to receive taxpayer-funded welfare benefits?

”

Full text

The full text of the measure was as follows:

“ Resolved by the senate, the assembly concurring, That the following question be submitted, for advisory purposes only, to the voters of this state at the spring election to be held in April 2023: “Shall able-bodied, childless adults be required to look for work in order to receive taxpayer-funded welfare benefits?" ”

Readability score

See also: Ballot measure readability scores, 2023

Using the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL) and Flesch Reading Ease (FRE) formulas, Ballotpedia scored the readability of the ballot title for this measure. Readability scores are designed to indicate the reading difficulty of text. The Flesch-Kincaid formulas account for the number of words, syllables, and sentences in a text; they do not account for the difficulty of the ideas in the text. The state legislature wrote the ballot language for this measure.

The FKGL for the ballot title is grade level 12, and the FRE is 45. The word count for the ballot title is 19.

Support

Supporters

Officials

• State Sen. Chris Kapenga (R)
• State Sen. Devin LeMahieu (R)
• State Rep. Robin Vos (R)

Organizations

• Foundation for Government Accountability

Arguments

• Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu (R): "It's so important to show the support of Wisconsin voters that if you're going to receive welfare benefits that you need to apply for work. Able-bodied adults should be working."
• State Sen. Chris Kapenga (R): "We are confident the public supports this. We think this will put public pressure on the governor."
• Sam Adolphsen, policy director of the Foundation for Government Accountability: "The workforce crisis in the Badger State has been driven largely by rapidly expanding welfare programs like food stamps, BadgerCare, and other cash benefits that, for three years, have been disconnected from work. Wisconsin has nearly a quarter million open jobs. Employers are desperate for workers, and voters will soon weigh in on whether they prefer able-bodied adults to be working for a paycheck or receiving a welfare check."

Opposition

Opponents

Officials

• State Sen. Melissa Agard (Nonpartisan)

Organizations

• Wisconsin Democracy Campaign

Arguments

• Senate Minority Leader Melissa Agard (D): "Their resolution, simply put, attacks low-income people in the state of Wisconsin, and it's born out of a consideration to their base for the spring election. They're trying to gin up their voters, simply put."

Campaign finance

The campaign finance information on this page reflects the most recent scheduled reports that Ballotpedia has processed, which covered through July 17, 2023.

See also: Campaign finance requirements for Wisconsin ballot measures

Ballotpedia identified one committee registered in support of the advisory question: Keep Wisconsin Working. The committee reported $480,000 in contributions.

	Cash Contributions	In-Kind Contributions	Total Contributions	Cash Expenditures	Total Expenditures
Support	$480,000.00	$0.00	$480,000.00	$384,760.45	$384,760.45
Oppose	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00
Total	$480,000.00	$0.00	$480,000.00	$384,760.45	$384,760.45

Support

The following table includes contribution and expenditure totals for the committee in support of the ballot measure.

Committees in support of Question 3
Committee	Cash Contributions	In-Kind Contributions	Total Contributions	Cash Expenditures	Total Expenditures
Keep Wisconsin Working	$480,000.00	$0.00	$480,000.00	$384,760.45	$384,760.45
Total	$480,000.00	$0.00	$480,000.00	$384,760.45	$384,760.45

Donors

The following table shows the top donors to the committee registered in support of the ballot measure.

Donor	Cash Contributions	In-Kind Contributions	Total Contributions
Wisconsin Alliance for Reform	$480,000.00	$0.00	$480,000.00

Methodology

To read Ballotpedia's methodology for covering ballot measure campaign finance information, click here.

Media editorials

See also: 2023 ballot measure media endorsements

Support

The following media editorial board published an editorial supporting the ballot measure:

• Wisconsin State Journal Editorial Board: "The second statewide ballot question this spring is only advisory. It asks: 'Shall able-bodied child-less adults be required to look for work in order to receive taxpayer-funded welfare benefits?' Of course they should. And that’s why they already have to do so if they want to collect unemployment benefits and food stamps. The question is too cute by half in seeking to manufacture outrage. Nonetheless, we recommend voting 'yes.' Support the merits of the words, even if they’re redundant."

Opposition

Ballotpedia did not locate media editorial boards in opposition to the ballot measure.

Background

Work search requirements for state unemployment insurance

At the time of the election,Wisconsin state law required beneficiaries of state unemployment insurance to report on four activities related to searching for work each week to obtain benefits. On March 18, 2020, Gov. Tony Evers (D) issued an emergency order waiving the work search requirement during the duration of the public health emergency order. On May 19, 2021, the state legislature voted to reinstate the work search requirement.

State unemployment statistics

As of December 2022, the unemployment rate was 2.3% in Wisconsin. The state labor force participation rate was 64.7%.

Work requirements for state FoodShare program

At the time of the election,Wisconsin state law required persons between the ages of 18 and 49 who do not have any dependents to meet certain work requirements. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the work requirement was waived as of October 1, 2020.

In 2022, Gov. Tony Evers (D) vetoed Assembly Bill 935 (AB 935) after the state legislature passed the bill along party lines. AB 935 would have required the state Department of Health Services to re-enforce a federal work requirement for able-bodied adults without dependents to participate in the state’s FoodShare program. AB 935 passed in the state Assembly by a vote of 58-34 and in the state Senate by a vote of 21-12. A two-thirds (66.67%) vote was required to override the governor's veto. During the 2021-2022 legislative session, Republicans had a majority in both chambers but did not have the votes to override the veto.

FoodShare Wisconsin statistics

As of December 2022, 374,877 assistance groups (individuals who live in the same household) received FoodShare benefits. Of that total, 33.8% of assistance groups included minors, and 47.7% included elderly, blind, or disabled members. The share of adults employed who received FoodShare benefits was 36.0%.

Advisory questions on the ballot in Wisconsin

Between 1980 and 2023, Wisconsin voters decided on 10 advisory questions. In 1982, the state legislature voted to send an advisory question to voters on whether the state should advise the president and congress to negotiate a mutual nuclear weapons moratorium and reduction with the Soviet Union and other nations. It was approved with 75.8% of the vote. In 1983, Wisconsin voters decided on an advisory question regarding the construction of a high-level radioactive waste disposal site in Wisconsin. It was defeated with 88.9% of the vote.

In 1993, the state legislature sent five advisory questions to the ballot regarding gambling and a state lottery. Two were defeated, and three were approved.

In 2006, Wisconsin voters approved a question advising the state legislature to support the death penalty in certain circumstances. It was approved with 55.5% of the vote.

Path to the ballot

To put a advisory question before voters, a simple majority is required in both the Wisconsin State Senate and the Wisconsin House of Representatives. The governor's signature is not required.

The advisory question was introduced as Senate Joint Resolution 4 (SJR 4). It passed the state Senate on January 17, 2023, by a vote of 22-10. On January 19, the state Assembly passed SJR 4 by a vote of 62-35 with two not voting.

Vote in the Wisconsin State Senate January 17, 2023
Requirement: Simple majority vote of all members in each chamber in one session
Number of yes votes required: 17  a
	Yes	No	Not voting
Total	22	10	0
Total percent	68.75%	31.25%	0.00%
Democrat	1	10	0
Republican	21	0	0

Vote in the Wisconsin House of Representatives January 19, 2023
Requirement: Simple majority vote of all members in each chamber in one session
Number of yes votes required: 50  a
	Yes	No	Not voting
Total	62	35	2
Total percent	62.63%	35.35%	2.02%
Democrat	0	35	0
Republican	62	0	2

Lawsuit

  

Lawsuit overview
Issue: Whether the state legislature filed the measures with the correct elections office before the referral deadline
Court: Dane County Circuit Court
Ruling: Ruled in favor of defendants; measures allowed to appear on April ballot
Plaintiff(s): EXPO Wisconsin and WISDOM	Defendant(s): Wisconsin Elections Commission
Plaintiff argument: The state legislature needed to file the referrals with county election officials by January 25 but missed the deadline by a day.	Defendant argument: The state legislature needed to file the referrals with the state elections commission by January 25 and did so.

  Source: Kenosha News

On January 31, 2023, EXPO Wisconsin and WISDOM, two groups that oppose the bail amendments, filed a lawsuit challenging the certification of all three ballot measures sent to the April ballot by the state legislature. The lawsuit filed in Dane County Circuit Court argues that the state legislature needed to submit the referrals to county election officials by January 25 to abide by the state law that requires ballot measures to be "filed with the official or agency responsible for preparing the ballots" at least 70 days before the election. The state legislature filed the ballot measures with the state elections commission on January 19 and with county election officials on January 26.

On February 20, Dane County Circuit Judge Rhonda Lanford ruled that the measures could appear on the April ballot. The judge found that the lawsuit lacked the legal requirements for the court to intervene.

On October 16, 2023, Judge Lanford denied a motion from the state legislature and state elections commission seeking to dismiss the case. A hearing was scheduled for March 19, 2024.

On September 16, 2024, Judge Lanford ruled that the measure would stand despite procedural flaws.

How to cast a vote

See also: Voting in Wisconsin

See below to learn more about current voter registration rules, identification requirements, and poll times in Wisconsin.

How to vote in Wisconsin

Poll times

In Wisconsin, polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Central Time. An individual who is in line at the time polls close must be allowed to vote.

Registration

Check your voter registration status here.

To register to vote in Wisconsin, one must be a citizen of the United States and a resident of Wisconsin for at least 28 days prior to the election. A voter must be at least 18 years of age by Election Day.

Prospective voters can register online or by mailing a form to their municipal clerk. If registering by mail, the application must be postmarked no later than 20 days before the election. In-person registration must be completed by 5 p.m. on the Friday before Election Day. Prospective voters can also register in person at their municipal clerk's office up until the Friday before the election or at their polling place on Election Day. (Same-day voter registration requires proof of residency.)

Automatic registration

Wisconsin does not practice automatic voter registration.

Online registration

See also: Online voter registration

Wisconsin has implemented an online voter registration system. Residents can register to vote by visiting this website.

Same-day registration

Wisconsin allows same-day voter registration.

Residency requirements

Wisconsin law requires 28 days of residency in a precinct before a person may vote.

Verification of citizenship

See also: Laws permitting noncitizens to vote in the United States

Wisconsin does not require proof of citizenship for voter registration. An individual must attest that they are a U.S. citizen when registering to vote. According to the state's voter registration application, a voter who provides false information "may be subject to fine or imprisonment under State and Federal laws."

All 49 states with voter registration systems require applicants to declare that they are U.S. citizens in order to register to vote in state and federal elections, under penalty of perjury or other punishment. Seven states — Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, New Hampshire, and Wyoming — have laws requiring verification of citizenship at the time of voter registration, whether in effect or not. In three states — California, Maryland, and Vermont — at least one local jurisdiction allows noncitizens to vote in some local elections. Noncitizens registering to vote in those elections must complete a voter registration application provided by the local jurisdiction and are not eligible to register as state or federal voters.

Verifying your registration

The site My Vote, run by the Wisconsin Election Commission, allows residents to check their voter registration status online.

Voter ID requirements

Wisconsin requires voters to present photo identification while voting.

The following list of accepted ID was current as of May 2023. Click here for the Wisconsin Secretary of State's page on accepted ID to ensure you have the most current information.

• Wisconsin Department of Transportation-issued driver license, even if driving privileges are revoked or suspended
• Wisconsin Department of Transportation-issued identification card, with or without a photo
• Military ID card issued by the U.S. Uniformed Services
• U.S. passport book or card
• Identification card issued by a federally recognized Indian tribe in Wisconsin (can be expired or unexpired)
• Photo identification card issued by a Wisconsin accredited university or college, or technical college, containing the date the card was issued and a signature. (If expired, the voter must also provide a separate document proving enrollment).
• Veteran's photo ID card issued by a government authority
• Certificate of naturalization issued within the past two years
• Driver’s license receipt issued by Wisconsin Department of Transportation (valid for 45 days from date issued)
• Identification card receipt issued by Wisconsin Department of Transportation (valid for 45 days from date issued)
• Wisconsin Department of Motor Vehicles ID Petition Process Photo Receipt (valid for 60 days from date issued)

The following voters do not need to provide photo ID:

• Confidential electors
• Active military and permanent overseas voters who vote by absentee ballot
• Indefinitely confined voters who vote by absentee ballot

Voters can obtain a free Wisconsin State ID Card at a Wisconsin Division of Motor Vehicles office. Voters need the following to apply for an ID:

• Proof of name and date of birth (birth certificate)
• Proof of identity (Social Security Card, Medicaid/Medicare Card, etc.)
• Proof of Wisconsin residency (utility bill, government mail, lease, etc.)
• Proof of U.S. citizenship (U.S. Birth certificate or citizenship paperwork)
• Social Security Number

Voters who do not have all or any of the materials listed above can still obtain an ID. Call the voter ID hotline for assistance at (844) 588-1069.

See also

2023 measures

• 2023 ballot measures
• Welfare on the ballot

Wisconsin

• Wisconsin ballot measures
• Wisconsin ballot measure laws

News and analysis

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

External links

• Full text