Fall Primary Election

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

Polling places are open 7:00 am – 8:00 pm for the August 11 Partisan Primary.  Your polling location is based on where you live. Many polling locations have changed since April.  Before heading out to vote, verify your polling location at www.cityofmadison.com/WhereDoIVote or https://MyVote.wi.gov .

In the August Primary, each political party narrows down its candidates for the November ballot.  For this election, you may vote for candidates in only one political party of your choice.  Wisconsin has run its fall primary elections this way since the early 1900s.

Your voter registration is not associated with a political party. The Clerk’s Office does not know which party you choose. You vote on a secret ballot.

To mark your ballot:

1.       Choose one party in the party preference section at the top of your ballot.

2.       Find that party’s section on the ballot.

3.       Select the individual candidates of your choice within that party.

To be eligible to vote in this election, you need to be 18 years old or older, a United States citizen, have resided in the district for at least 28 consecutive days, and, if convicted of a felony, have completed all the terms of your sentence, including probation, parole, and/or extended supervision.

Voters who moved within 28 days of the election would only be eligible to vote at the polling location for their previous address. Returning college students generally are eligible to vote from the campus address they had for the spring semester.

Voters with multiple residences need to choose one location that they consider their residence for voting purposes. For example, a college student would choose between their campus housing and their parents’ address to determine which address is their residence for voting purposes. Residency in Wisconsin is determined by voter intent and is a personal decision.

Voters who have pre-registered will state their name and address at the poll book, show the poll workers their voter ID , and sign the poll book. The address on the ID does not matter.  Voters using a Wisconsin driver license/ID, U.S. passport, or military ID as their voter ID may present an expired ID as long as the expiration date is later than the date of the last November election (Nov. 6, 2018).

Voters who do not have an acceptable voter ID may voter provisionally.  Provisional ballots are counted by the Board of Canvassers for voters who get a copy of their ID to the Clerk’s Office by 4:00 pm Friday, Aug. 14. The Dane County Voter ID Coalition can help you obtain a free Wisconsin ID.  Their hotline is (608) 285-2141.

Voters who need to register or update their voter registration may do so at the polls with proof of address.  The name and address on the voter’s proof of address document needs to match the name and address on the voter registration form.  Proof of address may be electronic, and it could be one of the following types of documents:

• Utility bill issued in the last 90 days (water, gas, electric, phone, cable, or internet)
• Bank statement (bank, credit union, credit card, mortgage statement)
• Current and valid Wisconsin driver license/ID
• Government document (federal, state, county, municipal, tribal, UW, Madison College, or public school)
• Paycheck
• Residential lease effective on Election Day
• Certified housing list from UW-Madison or Edgewood College (available at absentee voting sites and at the polls)
• Affidavit from a social service agency providing services to the homeless
• Contract or intake document from a nursing home or residential care facility

Voters with questions or concerns are encouraged to contact the Clerk’s Office at (608) 266-4601 or voting@cityofmadison.com. 

The unofficial election results will be posted on the County Clerk’s website  on election night.

Election officials are only able to count absentee ballots that are received by Election Day, per state law. Voters who have yet to return an absentee ballot to the Clerk’s Office still have a few options:

1. Drop off the absentee ballot at the City Clerk’s Office on Monday, August 10, between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.
2. Drop off the absentee ballot at the voter’s polling location on Election Day between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. Many polling locations have changed due to the pandemic.  Voters may verify their polling location for Tuesday’s election at www.cityofmadison.com/WhereDoIVote.
3. Destroy the absentee received in the mail, and vote at the polls on Election Day. Many polling locations have changed due to the pandemic.  Voters may verify their polling location for Tuesday’s election at www.cityofmadison.com/WhereDoIVote.

Voters may have a friend or family member deliver their absentee to an absentee voting site, a ballot drop-off site, or the polls.

The absentee envelope must have the voter’s signature, the signature of a witness, and the witness’ address. It is acceptable to have a spouse or family member sign as the witness as long as they are an adult U.S. citizen who is not a candidate on the ballot.

As of Saturday morning, the City Clerk’s Office had issued 72,681 absentee ballots for the Partisan Primary Election. The Clerk’s Office has only received 60 percent (43,272) of those ballots back.

Voters may track the status of their absentee ballot at https://MyVote.wi.gov .

Info from the League of Women Voters of Dane County:

Make sure you have everything you need to be able to vote in the next election. To check your registration, find election dates, request an absentee ballot, confirm your polling place, or start the registration process go to MyVote.wi.gov.

What you need to know about voter registration:

If you have moved or are new to Wisconsin, you need to register.

•      Wisconsin now has online voter registration! If you have a current, valid Wisconsin driver license (DL) or WI ID card and your current name and address are in the Division of Motor Vehicles data base, you can register online up to 20 days before an election. If you need to update your address at the DMV you can do that at tinyurl.com/DMVchanges. Then complete your registration at MyVote.wi.gov. The address on your physical DL or ID does not matter and does not need to be changed.

•      Don't have a current WI driver license or ID card? You can register in person at your clerk's office  until the Friday before the election or at an in-person absentee early voting location.  Madison residents can also register at any Madison Public Library.  You will need to show proof of residence (POR) when registering.

•      Register by mail: Voters can register by mail until 20 days before Election Day. You will need to include a copy of your proof of residence and send the completed application to your municipal clerk's office.

•      If registering in person or by mail you can use a paper form or complete one online at MyVote.wi.gov and print it.

•      For examples of acceptable POR go to Proof-of-Residence-Guide.

An approved photo ID will be required when voting: 

You can use a Wisconsin driver license, a Wisconsin state ID card, a US passport, or military ID with expiration dates of November 6, 2018, or later.  A Veterans Affairs card that is unexpired or has no expiration date can also be used. The address on a photo ID does not have to be current. Out-of-state IDs/DLs are not acceptable. For a complete list of approved photo IDs go to www.bringitwisconsin.com/.

If you don’t have an acceptable photo ID you can get a free ID at the DMV.  Be aware that If you have an out-of-state driver license you would have to surrender that license to get the WI ID or a WI DL.  Anyone who needs help getting an ID or a ride to the DMV can call the Dane County ID Coalition at 608-285-2141 for assistance.  If you are sixty or older RSVP is another option for a ride to DMV (in Madison call 608-441-7898).

Non-expiring ID cards are available for people age 65 and older who are no longer driving. For information about the DMV process see wisconsindot.gov. The West Madison DMV Service Center is  located at 8417 Excelsior Drive and the East Madison center is at 2001 Bartillon Drive.

Seniors and people with disabilities who vote by permanent absentee ballot are exempt from the photo ID requirement. To apply for a permanent absentee ballot, contact your municipal clerk. The website for the City of Madison clerk is www.cityofmadison.com/election and the phone number is 608-266-4601.

For more information go to www.lwvdanecounty.org/voting-information