The last few years of election law changes have been hard on voters. The Isthmus Voter Guide breaks down what voters need to know whether they plan to vote early, via an absentee ballot, or on Election Day. It includes links to our election coverage, as well as websites where voters can find out their polling place and what’s on their ballot. With this resource citizens should have what they need to exercise their right to vote and there should be no surprises at the ballot box.
The Madison City Clerk’s Office is expecting an unusually high turnout for the spring election, after a 36.7% turnout in the February primary nearly doubled primary turnout from four years ago. Topping the April 4 ballot and driving voters to the polls is a Supreme Court race that could swing the ideological balance of Wisconsin’s highest court and determine the fate of laws on everything from abortion rights to state Legislative redistricting maps. That race will be a match up between liberal Janet Protasiewicz and conservative Daniel Kelly. Millions of dollars of outside money has already been flooding into the race.
Both the Republican and Democratic parties want to boost turnout for the Supreme Court race and have backed ballot initiatives to try to add to their numbers. Madison voters will see resolutions on bail and work requirements for public benefits introduced by Republicans at the state level, and on abortion and legislative redistricting introduced by liberals at the county level. The state-level referendums on bail will amend the Wisconsin Constitution, while those on work requirements for benefits, abortion and redistricting are merely advisory.
Locally, Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway, who is seeking a second term, will face off against challenger Gloria Reyes. Also, 14 of 20 city council seats have a contested election, and between retirements, redistricting and challengers, the council is likely to see a good deal of turnover this spring. One of two Madison school board elections is contested, with Blair Feltham and Badri Lankella running for Seat 6. School board member Nicki Vander Meulen is running uncontested for a third term.
There will also be a municipal referendum to stagger Madison’s city council elections. Currently, all 20 of those seats are up for election every two years. The referendum would stagger the alders’ terms so 10 are up for election each year.
Links to all of Isthmus’s coverage of the spring elections can be found here.
In the Supreme Court contest, Isthmus has covered the race’s high stakes and the large amounts of outside money driving the race.
Locally, we looked at how the Madison mayor’s race is shaping up in the wake of the primary, and profiled incumbent mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway and challenger Gloria Reyes.
City council coverage highlights the potentially large number of newcomers that will be joining the council and some close races and narrow results in the primary round.
In Monona, mayoral candidates who faced off two years ago are back for round two.
Voting on Election Day
I’m already registered
If you’re already registered to vote, you can show up to vote in-person on Election Day, April 4. MyVote WI has a tool to check whether you’re registered and at what address. You can also check where your polling place is and what’s on your ballot. Polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. You will need to bring a photo ID, which does not need to show your current address.
You can also prepare and bring notes about who you want to vote for into the booth. You can take and share photos of yourself voting, but cannot show your marked ballot to others. And if you have a disability, you can vote “curbside,” in your vehicle or at the entrance to the polling place, with the assistance of poll workers.
I need to register
If you’re not registered to vote, you can register at your polling place on Election Day. In order to register, you will need proof of residence. The Madison City Clerk’s Office maintains a list of what counts as valid proof of residence, such as pay stubs or a bank statement, which can be shown in either paper or electronic form. UW and Madison College students can verify their residence through their student center portals (UW | Madison College). MG&E customers can login to their account and show their electronic utility bill.
Online and mail registration ended on March 15, but voters who still need to register can do so in person at any in-person absentee voting locations (list) or the City Clerk’s Office from March 21 until March 31 or register at the polls on Election Day. State law prevents residents from registering to vote the weekend before the election.
Voting Before Election Day
I’m already registered
Vote by mail: If you are registered to vote, you can request an absentee ballot and return the completed ballot by mail or in-person to the City Clerk’s Office at 210 Martin Luther King Blvd.. Your request for an absentee ballot must be received by the City Clerk’s Office by 5 p.m. on March 30, and your completed ballot must be received by the City Clerk’s Office by 8 p.m. on Election Day for it to count.You can also bring your completed ballot to your polling place on Election Day.
Vote early in-person: You can also vote in-person starting on March 21, a process called in-person absentee voting. You will need to bring a photo ID. The City Clerk’s Office maintains a list of in-person absentee voting locations and the hours they are open. In-person absentee voting is available from March 21-April 2.
I need to register
Register in-person: You can register to vote and cast your ballot at any in-person absentee voting location (list) between March 21 and March 31. In order to register, you will need to bring proof of residence. The Madison City Clerk’s Office maintains a list of what counts as valid proof of residence, such as a pay stub or a bank statement, which can be shown in either paper or electronic form. UW and Madison College students can verify their residence through their student center portals (UW | Madison College). MG&E customers can login to their account and show their electronic utility bill.
You can also cast a ballot on April 1 and 2, but state law prevents registration on these days.
Register online or by mail: Online and mail registration closed on March 15, per a state law that only allows in-person registration for 20 days before an election.
Other Frequently Asked Questions
I don’t have a photo ID. How do I get one?
The city maintains a list of the documentation you will need to apply for a voter ID, including proof of citizenship, residence, identity, and name and date of birth.
The Dane County Voter ID Coalition is helping voters get IDs ahead of the election, providing transportation and help with the application at two Madison DMV locations. If you have more questions, you can reach them at 608-285-2141.
Where do I vote? What is going to be on my ballot?
Find where to vote here. See what will be on your ballot here.
How can I find out about the candidates?
All of Isthmus’s coverage of the spring election can be found here.
On March 21, the State Bar of Wisconsin will host a debate between the two Supreme Court candidates that will be live-streamed on channel3000.com at 12:45 p.m. and broadcast on WISC-TV (Channel 3) at 4 p.m. The State Bar says those interested in attending in-person should RSVP at rsvp@wisbar.org or call 800-728-7788.
The two candidates for Madison mayor participated in a primary debate on Feb. 27 that can be viewed online. A general election debate will be live-streamed by the Cap Times and WISC-TV on Monday, May 27 at 7 p.m. and broadcast on WISC-TV (Channel 3) on Tuesday, May 28 at 4 p.m.
Madison East High School will host a forum for the candidates running for school board in Seat 6 and Seat 7 on March 21 at 7 p.m. Three candidates will participate: Nicki Vander Meulen, who is running uncontested for Seat 7, and Blair Feltham and Badri Lankella, who are running against each other for Seat 6. The forum will also be streamed on captimes.com.
Most local candidates participated in Know Your Candidate interviews moderated by the League of Women Voters, which are available on the city of Madison’s YouTube page.
Who is funding the candidates?
You can see local candidates’ campaign finance reports here. For state level candidates, including the Supreme Court candidates, campaign finance reports and individual donations can be found in the Wisconsin Campaign Finance Information System. As Isthmus has covered, PAC spending has dwarfed money raised by the candidates, and PAC campaign finance reports are also available through the Campaign Finance Information System.
What will the specific language of the ballot initiatives be?
Everyone in Wisconsin will vote on the following ballot referendums:
Question 1 - “Conditions of release before conviction. Shall section 8 (2) of article I of the constitution be amended to allow a court to impose on an accused person being released before conviction conditions that are designed to protect the community from serious harm?”
Question 2 - “Cash bail before conviction. Shall section 8 (2) of article I of the constitution be amended to allow a court to impose cash bail on a person accused of a violent crime based on the totality of the circumstances, including the accused’s previous convictions for a violent crime, the probability that the accused will fail to appear, the need to protect the community from serious harm and prevent witness intimidation, and potential affirmative defenses?”
Question 3 - “Shall able-bodied, childless adults be required to look for work in order to receive taxpayer-funded welfare benefits?”
Dane County voters will also see the following ballot referendums:
Question 1 - “Should the Wisconsin Constitution be amended to require a nonpartisan system for redistricting legislative and congressional districts in the state?”
Question 2 - “Should the Wisconsin Legislature adopt an amendment to the Wisconsin Constitution creating a new right to privacy that would protect rights such as abortion, same-sex marriage, and interracial marriage?
Voters in the City of Madison will see one additional ballot referendum:
Question 1 - “Shall the Charter Ordinances of the City of Madison be amended to establish staggered two-year terms for members of the Common Council beginning in 2025, with the 2025 Spring Election including one-year terms for alders in even-numbered Districts and in subsequent elections the term for all alders shall be two years?”
Other voting guides
The League of Women Voters voting guide can be found here.
Guides.vote’s Wisconsin Supreme Court guide is found here.