For information on federal campaign contributions, please visit Open Secrets.

For information on state campaign contributions, please visit your state's resource.

Information on local, state and federal candidates and ballot measures may be available here.

Municipal clerks can choose to provide secure drop boxes for returning absentee ballots. Please get in touch with your municipal clerk to find out more about their availability in your area.

Voters with disabilities have the right to assistance returning their ballot from a person of their choice (other than their employer or union representative). If you have questions about your options to return your absentee ballot, contact your municipal clerk.*

Early voting for the November 5, 2024 general election begins October 22nd and ends November 3rd.

Early voting is available in the form of in-person absentee voting. Each city, village and town is responsible for setting the dates and hours of in-person absentee voting for their municipality, though it can begin no earlier than 14 days before the election and ends no later than the Sunday before the election.  To find the dates and hours for in-person absentee voting where you live, contact your municipal clerk.

The next election dates can be found here https://www.vote411.org/wisconsin.

Contact your local Municipal Clerk for information about local elections.

To be eligible to vote you must be:

• A US citizen
• 18 years or older on Election Day
• A resident of Wisconsin at least 28 days before the election
• Registered to vote or are registering on Election Day

You are ineligible to vote in Wisconsin if you:

• Have already voted in the election
• Are currently serving any portion of a felony sentence, including probation or supervision
• Have been ruled incapable of voting by a judge
• Have made or become interested, directly or indirectly, in any bet or wager depending upon the result of the election

Incarcerated Voters & Returning Citizens: 

In Wisconsin, you cannot vote if you have been convicted of a felony and are currently serving any part of your sentence (including extended supervision, probation, or parole). After completing your sentence and no longer being supervised by the Department of Corrections, your voting rights are restored, and you must re-register to vote.

If you are in jail serving a misdemeanor sentence or awaiting trial, you are still eligible to vote, typically through an absentee ballot.

Voters without traditional residence: 

When registering to vote, individuals experiencing homelessness in Wisconsin can use a letter from a shelter or another organization that serves unhoused individuals as proof of residence. For more information and a sample letter from the Wisconsin Elections Commission regarding voting for unhoused persons, click here.

All voters must provide a Proof of Residence Document when registering to vote by mail, in person at their clerk’s office, with an Election Registration Official, or at their polling place on Election Day.

Note: Active military voters or permanent overseas voters (with no intent to return to the US) are exempt from providing a Proof of Residence document.

PROOF OF RESIDENCE 

Acceptable documents must include your complete name, current residential address (including a numbered street address), and the name of a municipality. Examples include:

• Current and valid Wisconsin driver's license or ID card
• Official identification or license issued by a Wisconsin governmental body
• Employer-issued ID card with a photo
• Real estate tax bill or receipt for the current or previous year
• Residential lease effective on the day of registration (not for first-time voters registering by mail)
• University, college, or technical institute fee statement from the last 9 months with a student ID
• Utility bill (gas, electric, or telephone) received within the past 90 days
• Bank or credit card statement
• Paycheck or paystub
• Document issued by a unit of government
• Intake document from a residential care facility like a nursing home or assisted living
• Letter on social service agency letterhead identifying a homeless voter and describing their residence for voting purposes

For more examples of acceptable proof of residence, visit this link

How Do I Present My Proof Of Residence Document? 

It can be a hard copy, paper document, or electronic document on your smartphone, tablet, or computer. 

Photo ID is required before you may vote.

The following types of photo ID are acceptable and may be unexpired or expired after the date of the most recent general election:

• A Wisconsin DOT issued drivers license, even if driving privileges are revoked or suspended, with or without a star in the right-hand corner
• A Wisconsin DOT issued ID card, with or without a star in the right-hand corner
• A Wisconsin DOT-issued ID card or drivers license without a photo issued under the religious exemption
• Military ID card issued by a US uniformed service
• US Passport (booklet or card)
• A photo ID card issued by a Wisconsin accredited university or college that contains date of issuance, signature of student and an expiration date no later than two years after date of issuance.
• A photo ID card issued by a Wisconsin accredited university or college that has expired, when shown along with proof of enrollment (like a tuition fee receipt or course schedule)
• An ID card issued by a federally recognized Indian tribe in Wisconsin (may be used even if expired before the most recent General Election)

The following types of ID are acceptable if they are unexpired:

• Certificate of naturalization that was issued no earlier than two years before the date of the election
• Driving receipt issued by Wisconsin DOT (valid for 45 days)
• ID card receipt issued by Wisconsin DOT (valid for 45 days)
• Citation or notice of intent to revoke or suspend a Wisconsin DOT issued drivers license that is dated within 60 days of the date of the election.
• Veteran's photo ID card issued by the Veterans Health Administration of the federal Department of Veterans Affairs
• Temporary ID card receipt issued by Wisconsin DOT through the Identification Petition Process (IDPP) (valid for 180 days)

You may show an ID card issued by a federally recognized Indian tribe in Wisconsin as well, if it is expired or unexpired.

The address on your photo ID card does not have to be current. The name on your photo ID card does not need to be an exact match for your name in the poll book.

If you are an absentee voter or have a sincere religious belief against being photographed, you may not need to show a photo ID in order to vote.

If you're in the military, live permanently overseas or are classified as a confidential elector, you do NOT need a photo ID to cast your absentee ballot.

If you are indefinitely confined (have difficulty traveling to the polling place due to age, physical illness, infirmity or disability), or live in a nursing home or care facility, you do NOT need to show your photo ID to vote.

For more information about photo ID please view your state's resource.

Free photo ID cards available.

If you need a photo ID card in order to vote, the DMV can help you get a free ID card. For more information on the process, please contact the DMV. 

If you wish to obtain an ID for voting purposes, but have spiritual beliefs which prevent you from being photographed, you can receive a State ID card without a photo at any DMV office.

Voters can call or text 844-338-8743 at any time to reach VoteRiders Voter ID Helpline

Official results are never available on Election Day. Election officials are working around the clock to count an unprecedented number of ballots, and it’s essential that they take the time to make sure every vote is counted.

Wisconsin uses technology, highly-trained people, and practical safeguards to protect local election integrity and ensure that every valid ballot that is cast is counted accurately — including absentee ballots. Official election results are certified by county boards of canvassers, comprised of the county clerk and two members of the public from opposite political parties. They must meet by the Tuesday after the election to open and publicly examine the returns. County canvassers have 10 days after the election to certify and deliver a statement of canvass to the state using the Canvass Reporting System. After the deadline for requesting a recount passes (or there is a recount), the Wisconsin Elections Commission reviews and certifies the results. For more information visit Wisconsin’s Elections Commission website.

Absentee ballots begin being counted on Election Day.

You are a Military or Overseas voter if you are in uniformed services, living overseas OR a spouse or dependent of a uniformed services voter. To get registered and vote, you can utilize Overseas Vote Foundation.

If you have additional questions about elections and voting overseas you can use our state-specific elections official directory or contact the Overseas Vote Foundation.

You can make sure we have safe, fair, and efficient elections for all. Become a poll worker today!

In order to be a poll worker in Wisconsin, you must:

• Be at least 18 years of age
• Be a resident of election district for the 28 days before the election.
• Complete required training
• Be a student 16 years or older, enrolled in a high school with a minimum GPA of a 3.0. You may work with written permission from a parent or guardian and school principal

You can find more information on becoming a poll worker here. To sign up, contact your local Municipal Clerk.

The polls will be open 7:00 am to 8:00 pm.

You can find your polling place by utilizing your state resource.

If you have further questions on your polling place location, please contact your municipal clerk.

Wisconsin is an “open primary” state. You can choose the party’s ballot you wish to vote. This decision does not register you with that party and it is a private decision.

If you have any questions about your state’s primary election, please contact your local election officials.

A provisional ballot is a ballot that is marked by a voter but is not counted at the time it is cast. There are three cases where you may vote a provisional ballot.

Those case are:

• A qualified voter who has been issued a current and valid Wisconsin driver's license registers to vote at a polling place on election day, but cannot list the driver's license number on the registration
• A first-time Wisconsin voter who registers by mail before April 4, 2014, but does not provide an identifying document establishing proof of residence at the time they submit the registration form and is unable to provide the required proof of residence at the polling place.
• A registered voter is unable or unwilling to provide proof of ID

Provisional ballots are not given if the voter is in the wrong polling place or when a person is attempting to register in person at the polling place but does not provide proof of residence.

The provisional ballot will not be counted unless the voter provides the required information to the poll worker by 8pm on Election Day or to the municipal clerk by 4pm on the Friday following the election. If proper documentation is received in time, the ballot will be counted.

Wisconsin ensures that voting is accessible for individuals with disabilities, including non-visual accessibility for the blind and visually impaired, in a manner that provides equal access and participation (including privacy and independence).

Any voter who needs help at the polls has a right to assistance. By law, a polling place must be accessible to a person with disabilities. It is a good idea to check the accessibility of the polling place ahead of time. You may find the building not accessible or have trouble getting to the polling location inside the building. If so, you may request that a poll worker bring a ballot to the building entrance or bring a friend along to assist you. If your polling place is not accessible, notify your city, town or village clerk's office and the Wisconsin Elections Commission.

Voting on Election Day

Know Your Rights Voters with disabilities should know their rights. A voter with a disability cannot be turned away from the polls because a poll worker thinks they are not ‘qualified’ to vote. Disability or medical diagnosis does not take away the right to vote. Only the courts can take away that right. 

To ensure that our voting process is accessible to all, disabled voters have the right to request accommodations.

 These are some of the most widely used accommodations: 

Curbside voting is required by state statute for any voter who cannot enter the polling place due to disability. Contact your clerk in advance to ask how to access curbside voting.

If a voter needs help marking the ballot, they may have a person of their choice assist them. That person does not need to be qualified to vote. The voter may bring someone with them or request assistance from a poll worker. The assistor cannot be the voter’s employer or union representative.

If a voter inside the polling location cannot sign the poll list due to a physical disability, they should inform a poll worker. The poll worker will write “Exempt by order of inspectors'' in the signature space on the poll list. 

All polling places must have accessible voting equipment set up and turned on. This equipment allows voters to independently and privately mark the ballot. It should be set up to allow voters who use a wheelchair to reach the controls and have an audio ballot marking option for voters with a visual disability. Any voter may use this equipment.

The poll worker may ask voters to speak their name and address. If a voter is unable to state their name and address, Wisconsin law allows voters to have poll workers or assistor of their choosing state their name and address on their behalf prior to receiving a ballot. Voters can also provide their information in writing to poll workers or assistors.
 
Other reasonable accommodations can be requested. Speak to the chief inspector at your polling place. 

Absentee Voting

If you need help returning your ballot because you have a disability, your rights are protected by the Voting Rights Act. You must be permitted to receive assistance from someone of your choice, other than your employer or agent of that employer or officer or agent of your union.

The person returning your ballot may also be the person who assists you with completing your ballot and/or who acts as your witness.

It is up to you, the voter, to determine if you need assistance mailing or delivering your ballot because of disability. Election officials cannot inquire about your disability status beyond the questions described below. No additional steps may be taken to verify your disability or right to assistance. 

Clerks may not create additional requirements or require documentation from voters with disabilities who need ballot return assistance. 

You may check with your Municipal Clerk to determine where your assistor should deliver your ballot. Find contact information for your Clerk on My Vote Wisconsin: https://myvote.wi.gov/en-us/MyMunicipal-Clerk
 

The voter registration deadlines in Wisconsin vary depending on the method you select for registration.

In-person: Election Day

By mail: postmarked 20 days before Election Day

Online: 20 days before Election Day

HOW CAN I CHECK MY REGISTRATION STATUS?

You can verify your voter registration status using Wisconsin’s voter information tool.

HOW DO I UPDATE MY REGISTRATION IF I MOVE OR HAVE A NAME CHANGE? 

If you have legally changed your name or moved to a new address, you will need to update your voter record by submitting a new voter registration.

You can do this online by searching for your voter record using your name and date of birth. If your name has changed, you may need to search using your prior name.

Employers must give employees up to three hours to vote on Election Day while the polls are open. The employee must tell the employer of his/her intended absence. The employer may decide the time of day for the absence.

To verify your voter registration status

Voting Machines

In Wisconsin, voters may see up to three different types of voting machines used at their polling place - tabulators, ballot marking devices, and electronic poll books.

Tabulators - Tabulators are used in every Wisconsin municipality with a population of over 7,500. These machines read the paper ballots inserted into them and electronically tabulate or count and add up the votes for each candidate and contest on the ballot. Numerous studies have found that tabulators are more accurate and much quicker than hand counting by humans. Learn more about the tabulators used in Wisconsin.

Ballot Marking Devices - Ballot marking devices (sometimes also called accessible voting equipment) are required by law to be available at every polling place in Wisconsin. This equipment provides assistance to voters to help them mark their selections on their ballot. This equipment often includes a touchscreen or keypad to help voters navigate making their selections. Many voters with disabilities rely on ballot marking devices to vote privately and independently. After using a ballot marking device, voters are able to review their selections on a paper ballot or paper record before having their ballot read by the tabulator. Learn more about the ballot marking devices used in Wisconsin.

Electronic Poll Books - In Wisconsin electronic poll books are also known as “Badger Books”. The Badger Book is an electronic version of the paper poll book and serves the same functions as the paper poll book. It is used to check in voters, process Election Day Registrations, and record absentee voting participation. Learn more about Badger Books.

Testing of Voting Machines: It is important to know that all voting equipment in Wisconsin is required to be tested before each election. Additionally, after every November election, election officials conduct post-election equipment audits to ensure the accuracy of the voting equipment.

The Paper Record: Every ballot cast in Wisconsin has a paper record. The paper record ensures that election officials can manually compare the paper ballots with the electronic tallies in case of doubts or discrepancies. It’s a safeguard against any potential errors, tampering, or inconsistencies.

You can learn more about voting systems by checking out the Elections Assistance Commission's (EAC) resource.