HOW TO VOTE BY MAIL IN WISCONSIN, AND HAVE YOUR VOTE COUNTED
We have a very good system for voting by mail in Wisconsin. The problems we saw in the April election were mainly due to people requesting their ballots too close to the election day, and lawsuits that changed the rules that normally apply. For the August and November elections, we can make sure it goes more smoothly. Please share this information with your fellow Wisconsites.
Since we don't know if the virus will spike again in the fall, I'm encouraging everyone to request your absentee ballot now for the August election. Here's how to do it, and make it count:
1. Request your absentee ballot on MyVote.WI.Gov. Do it today. It takes around 2 minutes.
2. If this is your first time requesting an absentee ballot, you'll have to upload a picture of your PHOTO ID. This is the same ID you would use to show at the polls, usually a driver license. It's easiest to use a smart phone or a tablet to do this. We've prepared a video that may help you: https://bit.ly/3agKiZx
3. After you request your ballot, go back to MyVote.WI.Gov and track the status. It should show that you have requested a ballot. If it doesn't show within a few days, call your clerk (you can find your clerk under MyVoterInfo on the MyVote website.)
4. Your local clerk will mail you the ballot when it's available, usually 3-4 weeks before the election. You can go to MyVote and see whether it's been mailed. If you don't receive it 2 weeks before the election, call your clerk.
5. If you decide to vote in person, you can do that, as long as you haven't already mailed back your ballot. It helps to bring the ballot back with you, but it's not necessary.
6. If you're worried about the return mail, many municipalities have a drop box available, or you can bring it to the early voting hours that your clerk provides. This is still safer than the crowds on election day.
7. Your ballot must be RECEIVED by the clerk by 8 pm on election day. If you're mailing it, allow at least a week for it to get to your clerk. Under normal Wisconsin law, postmarks don't matter. It simply has to be received by election day. Again, the problems with the spring election were due to lawsuits that pushed out the return deadline, but then required a postmark. For the August and November elections, we will back to normal rules.
8. When you seal your ballot envelope make sure it has three things: your signature, your witness' signature, and your witness' address. Your witness can be any adult U.S. citizen.
Questions? Need a witness? Email [email protected]