Spring Election

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press release: The city of Madison Clerk’s Office would like voters to know 12 things for this Tuesday’s election:

1.       Many polling places have changed for this election. To verify your polling location, visit www.cityofmadison.com/WhereDoIVote.

2.       You may use your own black or blue ballpoint pen. At the public test of election equipment, we made sure the tabulator accurately tallied ballots marked with blue or black ballpoint ink. We cannot guarantee that other colors of ink will be counted. Sharpies might bleed through the ballot and affect contests on the other side of the ballot. Gel pens do not dry fast enough, and gel gums up inside of the tabulator, causing ballot jams. If you have a pen that writes really smoothly, it is likely a gel pen, and it does not work well with our election equipment.

3.       Curbside voting is available.  As always, voters unable to enter the polling place due to disability or illness may vote from the curb. We anticipate that curbside voting will be utilized by voters who have underlying health conditions, are at high risk for COVID-19, or may have been exposed to someone with COVID-19.  When you pull up to the curb of the polling place, you will see a sign posted with a number to call in order to reach the poll workers inside. Two poll workers, wearing protective face shields, will bring you a ballot that you may mark inside your vehicle. If you have your own ballpoint pen, wave the pen at the poll workers so they know you do not need a pen. Hold your Voter ID up to your window for the poll workers to check. Crack your window open just enough to receive your ballot from the poll workers. Mark your ballot, fold it, and pass it back to the poll workers through your cracked car window. The poll workers will feed your ballot into the tabulator to be counted. Two poll workers are involved in this process for accountability purposes.

4.       Hand sanitizer will be at the poll book table and polling place exit. Voters will be asked to sanitize their hands at the poll book table before signing the poll book. This will allow time for the voter’s hands to dry before they receive their ballot. Hand sanitizer will also be available for voters to use as they exit the polling place.

5.       Keep your ballot dry! Rain is in the forecast for Tuesday. When ballots get wet, they shred in the tabulator and can take down the tabulator for the entire day. If your ballot gets wet, whether with rain or sanitizer, ask a poll worker for a replacement ballot.

6.       Maintain social distancing. In the interest of public safety, we ask that all voters and poll workers practice social distancing to the greatest extent possible. If you are in line, allow six feet of space between you and the next voter. You will be interacting with poll workers through a Plexiglass screen. When selecting a voting booth to use, allow six feet of space between you and other voters. Poll workers will be disinfecting pens and voting booths after each use.

7.       Voters will not need to remove their Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). Poll workers have been instructed to verify the identity of a voter wearing a facemask by comparing the eyes in the voter’s ID to the eyes of the voter before them. Poll workers should not ask voters to remove their facemasks.

8.       Voters who have not returned an absentee ballot may vote at the polls. Voters who received an absentee ballot but have not sent that ballot back to the Clerk’s Office have the option of voting at the polls on Election Day instead. Voters who have returned their absentee ballot to be counted may not vote at the polls on Election Day.

9.       Election results will not be available on election night. We are currently under a federal court order to not run the election results on election night. Absentee ballots that are returned to the Clerk’s Office by 4 p.m. on Monday, April 13, will be counted by the Board of Canvassers on April 13, and the election results will be released once those ballots are counted.

10.   Voters may use three library book drops to return their absentee ballots. Pinney Library, Sequoya Library, and Central Library have opened their book drops for voters returning their absentee ballots (sealed in the absentee certificate envelope with the voter’s signature, witness signature, and witness address). The Clerk’s Office retrieves these ballots from the library daily. To make sure ballots are not damaged, please do not return library materials to these book drops.

11.   Need a witness? Call the Dane County Voter ID Coalition hotline at 608-285-2141. The waiver of the absentee witness signature for voters who cannot get a witness is up in the air right now, pending a final decision of the 7th Circuit. Try to get a witness if at all possible. If not possible, write a statement to that effect on the absentee envelope.

12.   Do not hesitate to contact the Clerk’s Office. If you have a question or encounter a problem at your polling place, please let us know right away by calling (608) 266-4601.

A recent court ruling extended the deadline for returning ballots to April 13, but don’t delay.

The city of Madison Clerk’s Office has received many inquiries about the need for a witness signature and address on the absentee certificate envelope. The witness signature and address portion is necessary under Wisconsin State Statute 6.87(4)(b). There is no exemption at this time from this requirement.

There are a couple of organizations in Dane County that have offered to help those voters who live alone and have difficulty finding a witness for their absentee certificate envelope.

Older adults in Madison who need a witness for their absentee certificate envelope can call NewBridge for assistance. The number for NewBridge is (608) 512-0000.

The Dane County Voter ID Coalition has also started a service for individuals who need assistance with the witness signature and address on their absentee certificate envelope. The number for that hotline is (608) 285-2141. League of Women Voters of Dane County volunteers will try to help voters while maintaining social distance.

Spouses, significant others, and family members can serve as witness on the absentee certificate envelope for each other.

The City Clerk’s Office wants to be able to count your ballot on Election Day. Voters are encouraged to use the resources above to make sure their vote is counted.

« Safety Supplies and Procedures at the Polls «

·         City Engineering has fabricated Plexiglas barriers to help keep poll workers and voters safe. There will be one at the poll book table and one at the ballot table.

·         Hand sanitizer will be available for voters to use as they enter and leave the polling place.

·         Poll workers will have gloves available. Not every task requires gloves. We remind you that even though you are wearing gloves, you still cannot touch your face. You are encouraged to use sanitizing wipes to wipe down your gloves throughout the day.

·         The City has obtained 500 plastic face shields for use on Election Day. These are a shared resource. They will be sanitized between users. Workers will only be using face shields when engaging directly in a task that requires less than 6 feet of distance, such as workers who are actively helping voters curbside. They are not to be worn by workers sitting behind a protective Plexiglas shield.

SIGN UP TO BE A POLL WORKER

The City of Madison is in need of hundreds of poll workers for the April 7th election. To become a poll worker, sign up on the City of Madison Clerk's website.