Necessary Forms Explained

Campaign Registration Statement:

This form should be filed with the Clerk’s Office prior to announcing your candidacy for office, or no later than the deadline for filing nomination papers. New candidates should file a Campaign Registration Statement as soon as intent to seek elective office is known and before funds are collected or spent – see State Statute 11.05(2g) and 11.10(1). Continuing candidates must file an amended campaign registration statement indicating the office sought and the new primary and election dates. The campaign registration statement must be signed by both the candidate and the campaign treasurer, if a treasurer has been appointed. In most instances of our local election, you will be selecting the box in A29, affirming your campaign’s exemption, unless you will be spending more than $2,000 on your campaign.

Declaration of Candidacy:

The Declaration of Candidacy must include the candidate’s name in the form as it is to appear on the official ballot. A candidate may use their full legal name or any combination of first name, middle name, initials, or nickname with last name. No abbreviations or titles are permitted.

Nicknames with an apparent electoral purpose or benefit, such as “Lower Taxes,” “None of the Above” or “Lower Spending” are not permitted. A nickname is a substitute for the candidate’s legal name. It is not permissible to add the nickname in quotes or parentheses between the first and last name. For example, John “Jack” Jones is not acceptable, but Jack Jones is acceptable.

Nomination Papers:

The first day for circulating Nomination Papers is December 1, and the deadline for filing nomination papers is 5:00 pm on the first Tuesday in January. This deadline is extended to the first Wednesday in January if the first Tuesday of January is a holiday (§8.10).

Signatures of qualified electors on nomination papers must be obtained between December 1 of the preceding year, and 5:00 pm on the first Tuesday in January of the election year. Please pay careful attention to the signatures you obtain on your nomination papers. All electors signing your nomination papers must live within the district in which you are running (you can check the district for an address at My Vote Wisconsin). Those signing do not need to be registered voters, but must be eligible to vote. It is to your advantage to check that the addresses on your nomination papers are from the district you are running to represent. Signatures for addresses outside of that district are invalid and will not be counted. Village trustees are elected at-large so any qualified elector within the village limits would qualify to sign the papers for a trustee. 

Signers must give their complete address (house number, street and municipality – no Post Office boxes), and must list the municipality of residence. Signers must date their signature, including the year. In order for a signature to be valid, state law requires the signer to legibly print their name in a space provided next to their signature.

Although the person signing the nomination papers must reside within the district, the person circulating the nomination papers does not need to live in the district or municipality. Circulators are only required to be U.S. citizens, age 18 or older on the date of circulation, and not otherwise disqualified as an elector by the provisions in State Statute 6.03.

The circulator must certify the nomination papers after obtaining the signatures. Signatures dated after the date listed by the circulator are invalid and will not be counted. Nomination papers must be numbered. You may determine whether an address is in your district by checking online at My Vote Wisconsin. Signatures for addresses outside of that district are invalid and will not be counted.