2024 General Election: Important Return Dates
In Wisconsin, completed absentee ballots must be received by your municipal clerk’s office by 8:00 p.m. on Election Day, November 5th. If you are returning your ballot in person, it must be submitted to your polling place or clerk's office by 8:00 p.m. on Election Day.
Any registered voter in Wisconsin can request an absentee ballot. No excuse is required to vote absentee. You can request an absentee ballot online, by mail, or in person at your local elections office. The last day to request an absentee ballot is 5 days before the election.
Voted absentee ballots must be received by 8pm on Election Day in order to be counted. If you’re mailing your voted absentee ballot, please mail it at least a week in advance for it to arrive by Election Day. You will need an adult to witness your absentee ballot envelope in order to have your ballot counted.
WHO CAN REQUEST AN ABSENTEE BALLOT?
Any registered Wisconsin voter is eligible to request an absentee ballot.
HOW DO I REQUEST AN ABSENTEE BALLOT?
You can request an absentee ballot online, by mail, or in person.
If you have not previously provided a copy of your photo ID, your photo ID must accompany your application. Military and permanent overseas voters do not need to provide a photo ID with their request.
WHAT IS THE DEADLINE TO REQUEST AN ABSENTEE BALLOT BY MAIL?
The last day to request an absentee ballot is 5 days before the election.
WHAT IS THE DEADLINE FOR SUBMITTING AN ABSENTEE BALLOT BY MAIL?
Your marked absentee ballot must be delivered no later than 8pm on Election Day. The US Postal Service recommends you mail your absentee ballot one week before Election Day to ensure it arrives in time. You may also hand-deliver your absentee ballot to your polling place or clerk’s office by 8pm on Election Day.
WHEN ARE ABSENTEE BALLOTS MAILED OUT TO VOTERS WHO HAVE REQUESTED THEM?
Absentee ballots are mailed 3 weeks before local (spring) elections and 47 days before national (fall) elections.
HOW DO I COMPLETE MY MAIL BALLOT?
Before you begin, line up a witness who can verify that you filled out your own ballot. Choose an adult US citizen who is not a candidate in the upcoming election.
Next, fill out your ballot carefully with a blue or black pen. Once your ballot is complete, place it in the certified envelope. Then seal, sign, and date the certificate envelope, and make sure your witness adds their address and signature.
If you make a mistake or change your mind about a selection, contact your municipal clerk's office for help.
HOW DO I RETURN MY ABSENTEE BALLOT?
You can return your absentee ballot by mail or in-person at your municipal clerk’s office or polling site. It must be received by 8pm on Election Day. Here are more details:
Any voter who requires assistance with mailing or delivering their absentee ballot to the municipal clerk, or with any other part of the voting process, because of a disability must be permitted to receive such assistance. Voters are entitled to receive assistance from a person of the voter’s choice, other than the voter’s employer or agent of that employer or officer or agent of the voter’s union.
HOW CAN I TRACK MY MAILED ABSENTEE BALLOT?
You can sign up to track your absentee ballot on the My Vote Wisconsin website.
WHAT IF I REQUESTED AN ABSENTEE BALLOT BUT WANT TO VOTE IN PERSON?
Voters who requested an absentee ballot, but decide they want to vote in person may do so. Do not mail a ballot and vote in person. Registered voters may still vote early at their municipal clerk’s office OR in person at the polls on Election Day. Do not give your unused ballot to someone else.
HOW DO I SIGN UP TO RECEIVE PERMANENT ABSENTEE BALLOT?
Voters who are indefinitely confined, meaning they have a difficult time getting to the polls due to age, illness, infirmity, or disability, may request that a ballot be automatically sent to them for each election. Indefinitely confined voters do not need to provide a photo ID with their absentee ballot request. Voters on the permanent absentee ballot list must vote in each election or they will be dropped from the absentee ballot rolls.
WHAT IF I AM IN THE HOSPITAL?
Each hospitalized voter can request a ballot (in writing), and the voter may appoint an agent to pick up the ballot from the hospitalized voter’s clerk’s office.If you know you will be in the hospital, request a regular absentee ballot in advance.
HOW DO I REQUEST A BALLOT BY MAIL AS AN OVERSEAS OR U.S. MILITARY VOTER?
Overseas citizens and U.S. military personnel can find information on how to register to vote and request a mail ballot at the Overseas Vote Foundation.
Request your BallotWisconsin does not have an absentee/mail ballot curing process. We recommend that you track the status of your ballot using your state’s online tool before Election Day to make sure it has been received and accepted. If you voted a provisional ballot, your vote will not be counted unless you provide the required information to the poll workers by 8 p.m. on Election Day or to the municipal clerk by 4 p.m. on November 8, 2024.
For information on federal campaign contributions, please visit Open Secrets.
For information on state campaign contributions, please visit your state's resource.
Information on local, state and federal candidates and ballot measures may be available here.
Municipal clerks can choose to provide secure drop boxes for returning absentee ballots. Please get in touch with your municipal clerk to find out more about their availability in your area.
Voters with disabilities have the right to assistance returning their ballot from a person of their choice (other than their employer or union representative). If you have questions about your options to return your absentee ballot, contact your municipal clerk.*
Early voting is available in the form of in-person absentee voting. Each city, village and town is responsible for setting the dates and hours of in-person absentee voting for their municipality, though it can begin no earlier than 14 days before the election and ends no later than the Sunday before the election. To find the dates and hours for in-person absentee voting where you live, contact your municipal clerk.
The next election dates can be found here https://www.vote411.org/wisconsin.
Contact your local Municipal Clerk for information about local elections.
To be eligible to vote you must be:
You are ineligible to vote in Wisconsin if you:
Incarcerated Voters & Returning Citizens:
In Wisconsin, you cannot vote if you have been convicted of a felony and are currently serving any part of your sentence (including extended supervision, probation, or parole). After completing your sentence and no longer being supervised by the Department of Corrections, your voting rights are restored, and you must re-register to vote.
If you are in jail serving a misdemeanor sentence or awaiting trial, you are still eligible to vote, typically through an absentee ballot.
Voters without traditional residence:
When registering to vote, individuals experiencing homelessness in Wisconsin can use a letter from a shelter or another organization that serves unhoused individuals as proof of residence. For more information and a sample letter from the Wisconsin Elections Commission regarding voting for unhoused persons, click here.
All voters must provide a Proof of Residence Document when registering to vote by mail, in person at their clerk’s office, with an Election Registration Official, or at their polling place on Election Day.
Note: Active military voters or permanent overseas voters (with no intent to return to the US) are exempt from providing a Proof of Residence document.
PROOF OF RESIDENCE
Acceptable documents must include your complete name, current residential address (including a numbered street address), and the name of a municipality. Examples include:
For more examples of acceptable proof of residence, visit this link
How Do I Present My Proof Of Residence Document?
It can be a hard copy, paper document, or electronic document on your smartphone, tablet, or computer.
Photo ID is required before you may vote.
The following types of photo ID are acceptable and may be unexpired or expired after the date of the most recent general election:
The following types of ID are acceptable if they are unexpired:
You may show an ID card issued by a federally recognized Indian tribe in Wisconsin as well, if it is expired or unexpired.
The address on your photo ID card does not have to be current. The name on your photo ID card does not need to be an exact match for your name in the poll book.
If you are an absentee voter or have a sincere religious belief against being photographed, you may not need to show a photo ID in order to vote.
If you're in the military, live permanently overseas or are classified as a confidential elector, you do NOT need a photo ID to cast your absentee ballot.
If you are indefinitely confined (have difficulty traveling to the polling place due to age, physical illness, infirmity or disability), or live in a nursing home or care facility, you do NOT need to show your photo ID to vote.
For more information about photo ID please view your state's resource.
Free photo ID cards available.
If you need a photo ID card in order to vote, the DMV can help you get a free ID card. For more information on the process, please contact the DMV.
If you wish to obtain an ID for voting purposes, but have spiritual beliefs which prevent you from being photographed, you can receive a State ID card without a photo at any DMV office.
Voters can call or text 844-338-8743 at any time to reach VoteRiders Voter ID Helpline
Official results are never available on Election Day. Election officials are working around the clock to count an unprecedented number of ballots, and it’s essential that they take the time to make sure every vote is counted.
Wisconsin uses technology, highly-trained people, and practical safeguards to protect local election integrity and ensure that every valid ballot that is cast is counted accurately — including absentee ballots. Official election results are certified by county boards of canvassers, comprised of the county clerk and two members of the public from opposite political parties. They must meet by the Tuesday after the election to open and publicly examine the returns. County canvassers have 10 days after the election to certify and deliver a statement of canvass to the state using the Canvass Reporting System. After the deadline for requesting a recount passes (or there is a recount), the Wisconsin Elections Commission reviews and certifies the results. For more information visit Wisconsin’s Elections Commission website.
Absentee ballots begin being counted on Election Day. Provisional ballots are counted by 4pm on the Friday after Election Day.
Official ResultsYou are a Military or Overseas voter if you are in uniformed services, living overseas OR a spouse or dependent of a uniformed services voter. To get registered and vote, you can utilize Overseas Vote Foundation.
If you have additional questions about elections and voting overseas you can use our state-specific elections official directory or contact the Overseas Vote Foundation.
You can make sure we have safe, fair, and efficient elections for all. Become a poll worker today!
In order to be a poll worker in Wisconsin, you must:
You can find more information on becoming a poll worker here. To sign up, contact your local Municipal Clerk.
The polls will be open 7:00 am to 8:00 pm.
You can find your polling place by utilizing your state resource.
If you have further questions on your polling place location, please contact your municipal clerk.
Wisconsin is an “open primary” state. You can choose the party’s ballot you wish to vote. This decision does not register you with that party and it is a private decision.
If you have any questions about your state’s primary election, please contact your local election officials.
A provisional ballot is a ballot that is marked by a voter but is not counted at the time it is cast. There are three cases where you may vote a provisional ballot.
Those case are:
Provisional ballots are not given if the voter is in the wrong polling place or when a person is attempting to register in person at the polling place but does not provide proof of residence.
The provisional ballot will not be counted unless the voter provides the required information to the poll worker by 8pm on Election Day or to the municipal clerk by 4pm on the Friday following the election. If proper documentation is received in time, the ballot will be counted.
Wisconsin ensures that voting is accessible for individuals with disabilities, including non-visual accessibility for the blind and visually impaired, in a manner that provides equal access and participation (including privacy and independence).
Any voter who needs help at the polls has a right to assistance. By law, a polling place must be accessible to a person with disabilities. It is a good idea to check the accessibility of the polling place ahead of time. You may find the building not accessible or have trouble getting to the polling location inside the building. If so, you may request that a poll worker bring a ballot to the building entrance or bring a friend along to assist you. If your polling place is not accessible, notify your city, town or village clerk's office and the Wisconsin Elections Commission.
Voting on Election Day
Know Your Rights Voters with disabilities should know their rights. A voter with a disability cannot be turned away from the polls because a poll worker thinks they are not ‘qualified’ to vote. Disability or medical diagnosis does not take away the right to vote. Only the courts can take away that right.
To ensure that our voting process is accessible to all, disabled voters have the right to request accommodations.
These are some of the most widely used accommodations:
Curbside voting is required by state statute for any voter who cannot enter the polling place due to disability. Contact your clerk in advance to ask how to access curbside voting.
If a voter needs help marking the ballot, they may have a person of their choice assist them. That person does not need to be qualified to vote. The voter may bring someone with them or request assistance from a poll worker. The assistor cannot be the voter’s employer or union representative.
If a voter inside the polling location cannot sign the poll list due to a physical disability, they should inform a poll worker. The poll worker will write “Exempt by order of inspectors'' in the signature space on the poll list.
All polling places must have accessible voting equipment set up and turned on. This equipment allows voters to independently and privately mark the ballot. It should be set up to allow voters who use a wheelchair to reach the controls and have an audio ballot marking option for voters with a visual disability. Any voter may use this equipment.
The poll worker may ask voters to speak their name and address. If a voter is unable to state their name and address, Wisconsin law allows voters to have poll workers or assistor of their choosing state their name and address on their behalf prior to receiving a ballot. Voters can also provide their information in writing to poll workers or assistors.
Other reasonable accommodations can be requested. Speak to the chief inspector at your polling place.
Absentee Voting
If you need help returning your ballot because you have a disability, your rights are protected by the Voting Rights Act. You must be permitted to receive assistance from someone of your choice, other than your employer or agent of that employer or officer or agent of your union.
The person returning your ballot may also be the person who assists you with completing your ballot and/or who acts as your witness.
It is up to you, the voter, to determine if you need assistance mailing or delivering your ballot because of disability. Election officials cannot inquire about your disability status beyond the questions described below. No additional steps may be taken to verify your disability or right to assistance.
Clerks may not create additional requirements or require documentation from voters with disabilities who need ballot return assistance.
You may check with your Municipal Clerk to determine where your assistor should deliver your ballot. Find contact information for your Clerk on My Vote Wisconsin: https://myvote.wi.gov/en-us/MyMunicipal-Clerk
The voter registration deadlines in Wisconsin vary depending on the method you select for registration.
In-person: Election Day
By mail: postmarked 20 days before Election Day
Online: 20 days before Election Day
HOW CAN I CHECK MY REGISTRATION STATUS?
You can verify your voter registration status using Wisconsin’s voter information tool.
HOW DO I UPDATE MY REGISTRATION IF I MOVE OR HAVE A NAME CHANGE?
If you have legally changed your name or moved to a new address, you will need to update your voter record by submitting a new voter registration.
You can do this online by searching for your voter record using your name and date of birth. If your name has changed, you may need to search using your prior name.
Employers must give employees up to three hours to vote on Election Day while the polls are open. The employee must tell the employer of his/her intended absence. The employer may decide the time of day for the absence.
To verify your voter registration status
click here!Voting Machines
In Wisconsin, voters may see up to three different types of voting machines used at their polling place - tabulators, ballot marking devices, and electronic poll books.
Tabulators - Tabulators are used in every Wisconsin municipality with a population of over 7,500. These machines read the paper ballots inserted into them and electronically tabulate or count and add up the votes for each candidate and contest on the ballot. Numerous studies have found that tabulators are more accurate and much quicker than hand counting by humans. Learn more about the tabulators used in Wisconsin.
Ballot Marking Devices - Ballot marking devices (sometimes also called accessible voting equipment) are required by law to be available at every polling place in Wisconsin. This equipment provides assistance to voters to help them mark their selections on their ballot. This equipment often includes a touchscreen or keypad to help voters navigate making their selections. Many voters with disabilities rely on ballot marking devices to vote privately and independently. After using a ballot marking device, voters are able to review their selections on a paper ballot or paper record before having their ballot read by the tabulator. Learn more about the ballot marking devices used in Wisconsin.
Electronic Poll Books - In Wisconsin electronic poll books are also known as “Badger Books”. The Badger Book is an electronic version of the paper poll book and serves the same functions as the paper poll book. It is used to check in voters, process Election Day Registrations, and record absentee voting participation. Learn more about Badger Books.
Testing of Voting Machines: It is important to know that all voting equipment in Wisconsin is required to be tested before each election. Additionally, after every November election, election officials conduct post-election equipment audits to ensure the accuracy of the voting equipment.
The Paper Record: Every ballot cast in Wisconsin has a paper record. The paper record ensures that election officials can manually compare the paper ballots with the electronic tallies in case of doubts or discrepancies. It’s a safeguard against any potential errors, tampering, or inconsistencies.
You can learn more about voting systems by checking out the Elections Assistance Commission's (EAC) resource.
Wisconsin Elections Commission
201 W Washington Ave, Second Floor
P.O. Box 7984
Madison 53707-7984
LWV volunteers work year-round to register new voters, host community forums and debates, and provide voters with election information they need.
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