Voter Registration
Registration Deadline:
-By mail and online: Up to 20 days before the election.
-In the municipal clerk’s office: You may register in-person in your municipal clerk’s office up until the Friday before the election at 5:00 p.m. or close of business, whichever is later. You must always provide a Proof of Residence document when registering to vote.
-At the polling place on Election Day: You may register at the polls on Election Day. You must always provide a Proof of Residence document when registering to vote.
Party Affiliation: In Wisconsin, voters may choose which party’s ballot to vote for, but this decision is private and does not register the voter with that party. This permits a voter to cast a vote across party lines for the primary election.
Voter Registration Qualifications
Age: Must be 18 years or older on Election Day
Citizenship: Must be a United States citizen
Residency: To be eligible to register to vote at an address, you must have lived there for the 28 days before the election with no present intent to move. If you have not lived at your address for at least 28 days by Election Day, you can register to vote at the last Wisconsin address where you did reside for at least 28 days.
Felony Convictions: Rights restored upon completion of sentence, including prison, parole, and probation. If you are in jail serving a misdemeanor sentence or awaiting trial, you are eligible to vote.
Competency: No person may be denied the right to vote on grounds that the individual is incapable of understanding the objectives of the election process unless the person has been adjudicated incompetent in Wisconsin.
Under Wisconsin statute, an individual may not vote if the person has made or become interested, directly or indirectly, in any bet or wager depending upon the result of the election.
Military Electors: A military elector generally retains the right to vote in the ward or election district in which he or she last resided before becoming a military elector.
Qualifications for Military Elector Status in Wisconsin (including spouses and dependents who reside with or accompany the following):
-members of a uniformed service
-members of the U.S. merchant marine
-civilian employees of the U.S. and civilians officially attached to a uniformed service who are serving outside the U.S.
-Peace Corps volunteers.
Overseas Electors: An overseas elector must vote in the ward or election district in which the elector, or the elector's parent, was last domiciled prior to departure from the United States. Further, an overseas elector may vote in any election for national office, but may not vote in an election for state or local office unless the elector qualifies as a resident of Wisconsin.
Qualifications for an Overseas Elector in Wisconsin:
-is a U.S. citizen who is not disqualified from voting under Wisconsin law
-is at least 18 years old
-was last domiciled in Wisconsin, or whose parent was last domiciled in Wisconsin immediately prior to the parent's departure from the United States
-is not registered to vote or voting in any other state, territory, or possession.
ID Requirements: You must provide a Proof of Residence document when registering to vote in Wisconsin. Please see the Proof of Residence handout for a list of acceptable documents.
If you have been issued a State of Wisconsin Driver License or ID card that is current and valid, you must provide the number and expiration date. If your WI driver license or your WI DOT-issued ID is expired or you have not been issued one, provide the number and the last four digits of your Social Security number.
If you have none of these documents, you will be able to indicate that fact.
Obtaining a Voter Registration Form
Online: Register to Vote Online
In person: Register in the municipal clerk's office
By mail/ in writing: Registration forms should be mailed to your municipal clerk. You can download a Wisconsin Voter Registration Application. Your form must be printed, signed, and mailed or delivered, to your municipal clerk. You must always provide a Proof of Residence document when registering. If you are registering by mail, you can use any of the forms of Proof of Residence except a residential lease.
Please refer to 6.34 sub (3) (a) for further information regarding viable Proof of Residence Documentation.
Note: You may also register to vote at the polling place on Election Day.
Verifying Your Voter Registration Status
Online: Wisconsin Voter Registration Verification
Phone: Contact your municipal clerk if you have problems verifying your voter registration status.
Absentee Ballot Qualifications
Who can vote absentee: Those qualified to vote do not need a reason or excuse to vote absentee.
Other absentee voter qualifications: If the request is made by mail it must be in the office of the municipal clerk no later than 5:00 p.m. on the Thursday preceding an election.
OBTAINING AN ABSENTEE BALLOT
Online: Registered Wisconsin voters may request an absentee ballot online at myvote.wi.gov
In person: You may request an absentee ballot at your municipal clerk's office up until 5:00 p.m. or the close of business (whichever is later) on the Thursday before the election.
By mail: Download the application for the absentee ballot. Complete the form and mail it to your municipal clerk's office. Your application must be received by the clerk no later than 5:00 p.m. on the Thursday before the election in order for an absentee ballot to be SENT to you. You will also need to provide a copy of your acceptable photo ID with your request.
Additionally, a voter may apply for a ballot to be sent to them by e-mailing or faxing their municipal clerk no later than 5:00pm on the Thursday before the election.
In regards to Military and overseas voting, please refer to the resources at the bottom of this webpage.
Submitting an Absentee Ballot
Location and time: Your completed absentee ballot must be delivered no later than 8pm on Election Day. The U.S. Postal Service recommends absentee ballots be mailed one week before Election Day to arrive in time.
Wisconsin State Legislature 6.86 provides an in depth outline of absentee voting procedure.
The Wisconsin Elections Commission provides additional resources to manage your absentee ballot.
Early Voting
Early voting qualifications: Early voting is available in the form of in person absentee voting. Each city, village and town in Wisconsin is responsible for setting the dates and hours of in-person absentee voting for their municipality. To find the dates and hours for in-person absentee voting where you live, contact your municipal clerk.
CASTING YOUR VOTE ON ELECTION DAY
Enforced Election Day Etiquette:
-No election official may engage in electioneering on election day.
-Threats, Bribery, and Fraud are strictly prohibited
-Do not make or post false representations of a candidate or referendum up for election
-Do not post or distribute any election-related material during polling hours on election day at or within 100 feet of a polling place.
Time Off: Per Wisconsin Statute 6.76 Any person entitled to vote at an election is entitled to be absent from work while the polls are open for a period not to exceed 3 successive hours to vote. The elector shall notify the affected employer before election day of the intended absence. The employer may designate the time of day for the absence. No penalty, other than a deduction for time lost, may be imposed upon an elector by his or her employer by reason of the absence authorized by this section.
Curbside Voting is available in Wisconsin. Your polling place may have signs, designated parking, a phone number, or a doorbell to notify your poll-workers on election day. Please contact your municipal clerk prior to election day for further details.
Please refer to the Wisconsin Elections Commission’s Frequently Asked Questions Page for more information.
Additional Information
Verifying Registration: Wisconsin voter registration verification
Determining which candidates are right for you: https://votesmart.org/
Polling place: Wisconsin polling place locator
How to vote: Wisconsin Elections Frequently Asked Questions
Problems with voting: Wisconsin Elections Comments and Complaints
Verifying provisional ballot status: Provisional ballot status verification
Verifying absentee ballot status: Absentee ballot status verification
Photo ID requirements at your polling place: Wisconsin now requires a photo ID to vote. Acceptable IDs for voting purposes and can be found here.
