Polling Place Hours on Election Day

7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Early Voting

In-person absentee voting is from October 22^nd- November 2^nd 2012. Check with your municipal clerk for regular office hours.

Have questions or need more information? Call 1-866-OUR-VOTE (1-866-687-8683)!

How to Find Your Polling Place

Visit the Wisconsin Voter Public Access voter site and click on the Address Search link.

Call 1-866-OUR-VOTE (1-866-687-8683).

Have questions or need more information? Call 1-866-OUR-VOTE (1-866-687-8683)!

Registration Deadlines

Wisconsin does not have a registration deadline. Eligible voters may register at the polls on Election Day.

How to Check Your Registration Status

To verify your registration status, check the Wisconsin Voter Public Access Voter Registration Lookup webpage. You can also call 1-866-OUR-VOTE (1-866-687-8683).

Eligibility Requirements to Register

You may register to vote by mail, in person at the municipal clerk’s office, or at the polls on Election Day. You must be a resident of  your current address for 28 days.  Proof of residence is required of (a) first time Wisconsin voters registering by mail; (b) individuals who register in person after the by mail-in deadline, which is the 20^th day (October 17^th, 2012) before the election; and (c) individuals who register to vote on Election Day. Proof of residence is not required if the individual registers in person before the registration cutoff date. Proof of residence examples include:

• Current and valid Wisconsin driver's license;
• Current and valid Wisconsin I.D. card;
• Official I.D. card or license issued by a Wisconsin governmental body or unit;
• Employer-issued photo I.D. card, issued in the normal course of business, but not a business card;
• University, college or technical college fee card or I.D. card with photo, full name, and current address;
• Utility bill for the period commencing not earlier than 90 days before election day;
• Bank statement;
• Real estate (i.e., property) tax bill or receipt for the current year or the year preceding the date of the election;
• Pay check or a government check or other document issued by a unit of government; or
• Current residential lease which is effective for a period that includes election day (for anyone other than a first time voter)

The proof of residence provided must contain the applicant's full name and complete residential address, and must state the municipality to which the applicant belongs. Furthermore, federal law requires that an applicant supply a driver's license number on the Application for Voter Registration Form (Form EB-131). If an applicant does not have a driver’s license, he or she may submit the last four digits of their social security number or their Wisconsin state ID number. Registration forms cannot be processed until this information is provided.

Have questions or need more information? Call 1-866-OUR-VOTE (1-866-687-8683)!

If You Want to Vote Early

In Wisconsin, early voting consists of filling out an absentee ballot in-person at the municipal clerk’s office.  See below for in-person absentee ballot procedures.

If You Want to Vote Absentee

All voters can vote early by mail or in person. Voters must request an absentee ballot from the municipal clerk using the Application for Absentee Ballot form (which is available in English, Spanish, or Hmong) or, alternatively, through a signed written request that includes the following information: name; residential address; mailing address if any; statement of the elections for which the voter desires an absentee ballot; an indication of status as a military voter, if applicable; declaration that he/she meets the voting requirements; signature; and date. Contact information for municipal clerks can be found at the Directory of Local Municipal Clerks. 

Rules and Deadlines

In-Person Requests

Absentee ballots may be requested in person at the municipal clerk’s office as soon as ballots are available, typically three weeks before the election, until 5:00 p.m. or close of business (whichever is later) on the Friday before the election. For the November 2012 election, this is November 2, 2012.  No excuse is required for voters requesting an absentee ballot.  Voters requesting an absentee ballot in person must vote and immediately return the ballot to a member of the municipal clerk’s staff. Ballots requested in person may not be removed from the municipal clerk’s office.

Mail, Fax, or E-mail Requests

Absentee ballot requests by mail, e-mail, or fax must be received by the municipal clerk no later than 5:00 p.m. or close of business (whichever is later) on the Thursday before the election.  For the November 2012 election, this is November 1, 2012.  Military voters, indefinitely confined voters, and sequestered jurors may apply for an absentee ballot until 5:00 p.m. or close of business (whichever is later) on the Friday before the election.  For the November 2012 election, this is November 2, 2012.

If requested by e-mail or fax, the absentee ballot should be returned alongside a printed and signed copy of the request, which should be placed outside the certified ballot envelope. For more information, see http://elections.state.wi.us/faq_que_list.asp?fid=8&locid=47.

Absentee ballots requested through mail, e-mail, or fax will be sent by mail. The sole exception is for permanent overseas voters requesting absentee ballots through e-mail or fax who note the appropriate sections in the application. They are required to return the ballot by mail.   

Mailed absentee ballots must be delivered to the municipal clerk by 8:00 p.m. on Election Day. If returned by mail, the ballot must be postmarked no later than Election Day and received by the clerk no later than 4:00 p.m. on the Friday after the election.

Have questions or need more information? Call 1-866-OUR-VOTE (1-866-687-8683)!

An individual must show proof of residence at the poll prior to voting if he (a) is a first time voter who registered by mail but did not provide proof of residence when submitting the application, (b) registered in person after the registration cut-off date, or (c) registered at the polling place on Election Day. For acceptable forms of proof of residence, please see above.

An individual must show proof of residence at the poll prior to voting if he or she (a) is a first time voter who registered by mail but did not provide proof of residence when submitting the application; (b) registered in person after the registration cut-off date; or (c) registered at the polling place on Election Day. For acceptable forms of proof of residence, please see the Registering to Vote section above.

A first time voter who registers by mail but does not provide proof of residence with his registration form and does not bring proof of residence to the polling place may be entitled to vote by provisional ballot upon affirming that he or she is a qualified elector of the district and is eligible to vote in that election. The provisional ballot will not be counted unless the voter provides proof of residence to the office of the municipal clerk or board of elections commissioners no later than 4 p.m. on the Friday after the election. Provisional ballots are not given to individuals attempting to register on Election Day who do not provide proof of residence.

Please note that voters are not required to present photo ID when voting in Wisconsin.

Have questions or need more information? Call 1-866-OUR-VOTE (1-866-687-8683)!

Electors must cancel their registration from a previous residence upon application for registration at a new address. This may be done on or before Election Day by filling out the standard Wisconsin voter registration form. If filled out before Election Day, the form should be sent to the local municipal clerk’s office. Electors changing their voting address must present proof of their new residence. Please see the Registering to Vote section for what constitutes acceptable proof of residence.

Changing Names:

• A voter who has changed his or her name but resides at the same address and has not notified the municipal clerk must notify the inspector before actually voting. 

Name Changes and Moving:

• If an elector has changed both his or her name and address, he or she must complete a registration form at the polling place or other registration location and present acceptable proof of residence.  

Have questions or need more information? Call 1-866-OUR-VOTE (1-866-687-8683)!

Military and overseas citizens can use the Federal Post Card Application (FPCA), also known as Standard Form 76, to register to vote and to request an absentee ballot.  Visit the Federal Voting Assistance Program's (FVAP) Wisconsin-specific FPCA page.

Military and overseas citizens can send and receive voting materials by fax and email.  If you wish to use the fax or email options, you must indicate this on your FPCA.  Instructions for doing so are found on the FVAP's Wisconsin-specific FPCA page.

Military and overseas citizens can use the Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot (FWAB) if they are concerned with receiving their printed ballot and returning it by the 8:00 p.m., Election Day deadline.  The FWAB is a blank ballot on which voters write-in their choices.  The FWAB may also be used to register to vote and to apply for the absentee ballot, all in one step.  If the FWAB is being used to register to vote, it must be received by the voter registration deadline.  For specific instructions, visit the Federal Voting Assistance Program's Wisconsin-specific FWAB page.

Have questions or need more information? Call 1-866-OUR-VOTE (1-866-687-8683)!

If you have been convicted of a felony, treason or bribery, you have the right to vote after completing your sentence, including any period of probation or parole, and registering to vote.

For more information, visit the Government Accountability Board website.

Have questions or need more information? Call 1-866-OUR-VOTE (1-866-687-8683)!

FAQ

Manual

Voter Checklist

For more information for voters with mental disabilities, visit The Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law and National Disability Rights Network’s document: “Voting Rights Guide for People with Mental Disabilities”

For more information for student voters, visit the Wisconsin Student Voting Guide from the Brennan Center for Justice.

Have questions or need more information? Call 1-866-OUR-VOTE (1-866-687-8683)!