Fall Election

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Bob Koch

A sign pointing the direction to the polling place at Warner Park Community Recreation Center.

A sign pointing the direction to a polling place.

Well…here we are again. As always, myvote.wi.gov is a handy one-stop reference to find your polling place and what’s on the ballot. In Madison, along with the inescapable presidential race, there are contests for U.S. Senate and House; other state and county offices are uncontested, except for Dane County executive. The ballot also includes a Republican-authored constitutional amendment regarding (already illegal) non-citizen voting, as well as taxing referendums from the city of Madison and Madison Metropolitan School District. Be prepared by studying the Isthmus Voter Guide (in English and Spanish), and get out there and vote. What could be more important on a Tuesday?

Voters go to the polls between 7 am-8 pm, 11/5. For polling places/ballot info: cityofmadison.com/clerk or clerk.countyofdane.com. 608-266-4601.

From the city of Madison: The City Clerk’s Office encourages voters to verify their polling location at https://MyVote.wi.gov before heading to the polls tomorrow. Redistricting in May changed some ward lines, which may affect where you vote.

The busiest times at the polls tend to be when the polls open at 7 a.m., and at the end of the workday, around 5 p.m. The Clerk’s Office staffs the polls to keep voter lines down to a 15-minute wait or less after the initial morning rush.

Poll Book: If you are pre-registered, you will check-in at the poll book. You will announce your name and address. If you are unable to state your name and address due to a disability, you may have someone else do so on your behalf.

Poll workers will find your name and address on the poll book and check your voter ID. The address on your ID doesn’t matter. Certain types of ID may be expired. Licenses and ID cards from other states are not accepted. Here are the acceptable types of voter ID:

• Wisconsin driver license – may be expired as long at the expiration date is after 11/8/2022

• Wisconsin DOT-issued photo ID card - may be expired as long as the expiration date is after 11/8/2022

• U.S. passport - may be expired as long as the expiration date is after 11/8/2022
• Military ID card - may be expired as long as the expiration date is after 11/8/2022
• Certificate of naturalization issued within last 2 years
• Unexpired Wisconsin driver license or state ID receipt
• Unexpired ID receipt issued by the Wisconsin DOT through the ID Petition Process
• ID card issued by a federally recognized Indian tribe, regardless of expiration date
• Unexpired ID issued by a Wisconsin accredited university or college—must contain issuance date, student signature, and expiration date within 2 years of issuance. If expired, must also show proof of current enrollment.
• Unexpired ID issued by the Veterans Health Administration

Poll workers will check that the ID is an acceptable type of ID, the expiration date is okay for that type of ID, the name reasonably conforms with the name on the poll book, and the photo reasonably resembles you.

You will be asked to sign the poll book. If a physical disability prevents you from signing the poll book, let the poll workers know.

Poll workers assign a sequential number to each voter. The first voter of the day gets voter slip #1. Poll workers write your voter slip number next to your name in both poll books. They give you a voter slip to take to the ballot table.

Ballot Table: You’ll exchange your voter slip for your ballot. Two poll workers will initial your ballot. You can get a ballot to mark with a pen, or a ballot card to mark using a printer. Not only does the ExpressVote accessible voting device have a touchscreen, it offers large print, high contrast, a Braille keypad, Spanish translation, and is compatible with sip & puff devices.

Voting Booth: Let a poll worker know if you need assistance marking your ballot. You may choose anyone other than your employer or union representative to assist you with marking your ballot. The name and address of the person providing assistance is documented on the poll book. The assistant also signs the ballot.

Tabulator: Feed your ballot into the tabulator to be counted. You may insert it in any orientation. Wait for the screen to say, “Thank you for voting. Your ballot has been counted.”

Election Day Voter Registration: Voters who aren’t registered at their current address may register at the polls, with proof of address. Proof of address is required when registering to vote. These documents can be used to prove your address:

• Utility bill that covers a time frame within the past 90 days (water, gas, electric, cable, internet, landline or cellular phone)
• Bank or credit union statement
• Current and valid Wisconsin driver license or Wisconsin identification card
• Paycheck or paystub
• Document issued by a unit of government
• Check issued by a unit of government
• Residential lease effective on the day of registration
• Affidavit from an agency providing homeless services
• Edgewood College fee statement showing local address, accompanied by an Edgewood College student ID
• Intake document from a residential care facility
• Edgewood College ID or UW-Madison ID if on certified housing list for a residence hall

One poll worker will make sure your form is complete and will check your proof of address. They will send you to a second poll worker who will add you to the Election Day supplemental poll list. The second poll worker will confirm that your form is complete. They will check your voter ID, have you sign the poll list, and give you a voter slip.

The goal of the City Clerk’s Office is that each eligible voter will be able to cast a ballot and have that ballot counted.

from the Wisconsin Elections Commission:

The 2024 General Election is here! The Wisconsin Elections Commission is providing the following reminders for voters:

1. If you’re planning to go to the polls on Tuesday, you can check the WEC’s MyVote.wi.gov website to verify your registration status, find your polling place, see what’s on your ballot, and more. Your polling place may have changed for Tuesday’s General Election. MyVote.wi.gov allows you to verify your polling place as well as what will be on your ballot. You can also track the status of your absentee ballot or see the location of your municipality’s absentee ballot drop box if it has one and has uploaded that information. 

1. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. statewide. Polling place hours are the same across Wisconsin, no matter where you live. You need to be in line by 8 p.m. to vote.

1. If you’re not registered to vote, you can do so at your polling place on Election Day. Go to MyVote.wi.gov to see whether you’re registered to vote. If you’re not, you can fill out a paper registration form at your polling place (as long as you’re an eligible elector) and then proceed to vote. In order to register, a proof-of-residence document with a current address is required. Learn more at https://elections.wi.gov/Register.

Online voter registration for future elections resumes after the Nov. 5 General Election.

1. If you haven’t already returned your absentee ballot, do so as soon as possible. All absentee ballots must arrive to your polling place or central count facility by 8 p.m. on Election Day to be counted. It’s too late to mail back your ballot.

Instead, contact your municipal clerk to learn where you should return your absentee ballot. Depending on your municipality, options include dropping it off at your municipal clerk’s office or, if available, in a secure drop box. If you use either of these options on Election Day, do so as early as possible to allow ample time for your local election officials to deliver the ballot to your polling place or central count facility to be counted.

Depending on your municipality, you may be able to deliver absentee ballots directly to your normal polling place, but again, it must arrive before polls close at 8 p.m. Municipalities that process absentee ballots in central count facilities may require the voter to return the absentee ballot directly to the central count facility, and you would not be able to return it to your polling place. 

1. You need an acceptable photo ID to vote and your ID for voting does not need to show your current address.  Most voters already have the photo ID they need to vote, such as a Wisconsin driver license or ID. If you have photo ID questions, please visit https://elections.wi.gov/photoid or call 1-866-VOTE-WIS for information.  A voter who does not have an acceptable photo ID must be offered a provisional ballot and the opportunity to submit a photo ID within three days after the election.

1. If you’re a voter with a disability, you have additional options when returning your absentee ballot. Pursuant to the Voting Rights Act, any Wisconsin voter who requires assistance with mailing or delivering an absentee ballot to their municipal clerk due to a disability must be permitted to receive assistance from a person of the voter’s choice. This person cannot be the voter’s employer or an agent of the employer. This person also cannot be an officer or agent of the voter’s union. Contact your municipal clerk if you have questions.
2. Election officials are the most reliable source of information about elections. Be cautious when engaging with election information, especially when it is unsolicited. The WEC has heard recently about many unsolicited communications from third-party groups that may be providing inaccurate or misleading election information. Sometimes, these misleading communications even appear to mimic communications from an official government source.

When it comes to voting information, Wisconsinites should make sure to rely upon accurate, official sources. This includes the WEC’s official MyVote.wi.gov website. You can also contact your municipal clerk, who can confirm your registration status and answer any questions you might have. You can find your clerk’s contact information on the MyVote website.

1. Be patient when waiting for Tuesday night’s results, which will be unofficial. Unofficial election results take time – it will likely not be until the early morning hours on Wednesday, Nov. 6 or later that all of Wisconsin’s counties will post the full unofficial results.

Election officials prioritize accuracy over speed. It doesn’t mean anything is wrong if it takes a while for unofficial results to come in.

No matter what you see on TV or online, it will take weeks for Wisconsin’s unofficial results to become official. Over these weeks, officials at the municipal, county, and state level will review the results to ensure they are accurate.

The deadline for the state to certify the statewide results is Dec. 1.

From the city of Madison: The Madison City Clerk’s Office has issued absentee ballots to over 67,000 voters for the November 5 General Election, of which (as of Oct. 30) over 58,000 have been returned to be counted.

Being able to verify that your absentee has been delivered to the Clerk’s Office can provide peace of mind as Election Day approaches. There’s an easy way to track your absentee:

1. Go to https://MyVote.wi.gov.
2. Click the Track My Ballot tile toward the top of the screen.
3. Enter your name and date-of-birth. Click the green Search button.
4. Click the blue View My Request button that appears under your name.
5. Scroll down to My Absentee Status. Look for the “Completed absentee ballot received” tile to not be grayed out.

Absentees remain sealed in their envelopes until they have been checked into the poll book at the polls on Election Day.

The goal of the City Clerk’s Office is that each eligible voter will be able to cast a ballot and have that ballot counted.

Voters should be aware of some key deadlines:

• Friday, November 1, is the final day for late voter registration at in-person absentee voting sites. There is no voter registration the Saturday, Sunday, or Monday before Election Day. Voters may register at the polls on Tuesday.
• Sunday, November 3, is the final day of in-person absentee voting.
• Monday, November 4, is the final day to use one of the secure ballot drop boxes near Madison's fire stations. The drop boxes will be locked closed at 5 p.m. Monday.
• Absentee ballots need to be at the absentee voter’s polling location before the polls close at 8 p.m. on Tuesday. Postmarks do not count.

From the Wisconsin DMV: The Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) will extend hours at customer service centers on Monday (November 4) and Tuesday (November 5). DMV service centers will remain open until 6 p.m. The extended hours will enable those needing a photo ID, frequently those who are new to the state, time to visit a DMV.

Wisconsin’s General Election is Tuesday (November 5, 2024) and voters who don’t already have a Wisconsin driver license, ID or other form of identification needed to vote may still get a Wisconsin ID from the DMV. The Wisconsin Elections Commission website explains the options for IDs to show at the polls. There is no separate “voter ID” and a federally compliant REAL ID card is not required for voting purposes.

There are documentation requirements, such as a birth certificate, proof of identity and Wisconsin residency, to obtain an official Wisconsin ID card. The voter should bring any documentation available to the DMV and fill out two forms. DMV’s website has a locator to find the nearest DMV and check wait times. A photo ID document will be sent via overnight mail that may be taken to the polls and used for voting. Completing a provisional ballot may be an option until the photo ID document arrives.

DMV offers ID cards for voting purposes to U.S. citizens free of charge. DMV’s toll-free hotline at (844) 588-1069 is available for questions on obtaining an ID for voting purposes. Questions regarding voter eligibility, poll locations, voter registration information or other election information may be found on the Wisconsin Elections Commission website elections.wi.gov.