INSTRUCTIONS FOR PREPARING NOMINATION PAPERS FOR PARTISAN OFFICE
This is a sample nomination paper form. It conforms to the statutory requirements for nomination papers for partisan office. All information concerning the candidate must be completed in full before
circulating this form to obtain signatures of electors. All information concerning the signing electors and the circulator must be completed in full before filing with the appropriate filing officer. This
form may be reproduced in any way. A candidate's picture and campaign information may also be added to this form. The Wisconsin Elections Commission has determined that no disclaimer or other
attribution statement is required on nomination papers. Candidates are advised to send a sample of their completed form to the filing officer for review before circulation. Federal and state candidates
file with the Wisconsin Elections Commission. County candidates file with the County Clerk.
Page Numbers – Number each page consecutively, beginning with “1”, before submitting to the filing officer. A space for page numbers has been provided in the lower right-hand corner of the form.
Candidate's Name - Insert the candidate's name. A candidate may use his or her full legal name, or any combination of first name, middle name, and initials or nickname with last name. The
Wisconsin Elections Commission has determined that, absent any evidence of an attempt to manipulate the electoral process, candidates are permitted to choose any form of their name, including
nicknames, by which they want to appear on the ballot.
No titles are permitted. In addition, names such as “Red” or “Skip” are permitted, but names that have an apparent electoral purpose or benefit, such as “Lower taxes,” “None of the above” or “Lower
Spending” are not permitted. It is also not permissible to add nicknames in quotes or parentheses between first and last names. For example, John “Jack” Jones or John (Jack) Jones are not acceptable,
but John Jones, Jack Jones or John Jack Jones are acceptable.
Candidate's Residence – Insert the candidate’s residential address (no P.O. Box addresses) and the municipality for voting purposes. Indicate if the municipality of residence is a town, village or city.
If a candidate’s mailing address is different from the residential address or voting municipality, a complete mailing address must also be given.
Date of Election - Insert the date of the election. If the nomination paper is being circulated for a general election, the date is the Tuesday after the first Monday in November of an even-numbered
year. If the election is a special partisan election, the date of the special election must be listed.
Party or Statement of Principle – Insert the name of the party the candidate represents. Independent candidates may provide a Statement of Principle, not to exceed 5 words.
Title of Office - The name of the office must be listed along with the jurisdiction or district number that clearly identifies the office the candidate is seeking, for example, Representative to the
Assembly – 1
st
district or Dane County District Attorney.
Name of Jurisdiction - The nomination papers must also indicate the municipality or jurisdiction in which the signing electors are qualified to vote, as it relates to the office sought by the candidate
named on the nomination paper. For example, for a statewide office the jurisdiction is the State of Wisconsin. Other examples are 1
st
Congressional District, 24
th
Assembly District or Brown County.
Signatures and Printed Names of Electors - Only qualified electors of the jurisdiction or the district the candidate seeks to represent may sign the nomination papers. Each signer must also
legibly print their name. Each elector must provide their residential address (no P.O. Box addresses), including any street, fire or rural route number, box number (if rural route) and street or road name
and municipality of residence. A post office box number alone does not show where the elector actually resides. The name of the Municipality of Residence must be listed for each signing elector and
must clearly identify the town, village or city where the elector's voting residence is located. The date the elector signed the nomination paper, including month, day and year, must be indicated. Ditto
marks that follow correct and complete address or date information are acceptable. The circulator may add any missing or illegible address or date information before the papers are filed with the filing
officer.
Signature of Circulator - The circulator should carefully read the language of the Certification of Circulator. THE CIRCULATOR MUST PERSONALLY PRESENT THE NOMINATION PAPER TO EACH SIGNER. THE NOMINATION
PAPER MAY NOT BE LEFT UNATTENDED ON COUNTERS OR POSTED ON BULLETIN BOARDS. The circulator's complete residential address including municipality of residence must be listed in the certification. After obtaining
signatures of electors, the circulator must sign and date the certification.
Other Instructions - Candidates and circulators should review Ch. Wisconsin Elections Commission §§ 2.05, 2.07, Wis. Adm. Code.
Original nomination papers must be in the physical custody of the appropriate filing officer by the filing deadline. A postmark on the filing deadline is NOT sufficient. Nomination papers cannot
be faxed/emailed to the filing officer. Ch. Wisconsin Elections Commission § 6.04(2), Wis. Adm. Code.
Nomination papers with the required number of signatures must be filed with the appropriate filing officer no later than 5:00 p.m. on June 1
st
(or the next day if June 1
st
is a holiday or
weekend) before the general election. Nomination papers may not be circulated before April 15. Special elections may have different circulation time frames and filing deadlines. Check with
the filing officer.
In order for a candidate's name to be placed on the ballot, a candidate must file a Campaign Registration Statement (ETHCF-1), a Declaration of Candidacy (EL-162), and Nomination Papers (EL-
168) containing the appropriate number of signatures for the office sought no later than the filing deadline. Wis. Stat. § 8.15(6). Candidates for state office and municipal judge must also file a
Statement of Economic Interests with the Wisconsin Ethics Commission by the third business day after the nomination paper filing deadline. Wis. Stat. § 19.43. If any one of these required
forms is not filed by the deadline, the candidate's name will not be placed on the ballot. Wis. Stat. § 8.30.
If a candidate or circulator has any questions, he or she should contact the filing officer.
