Please share widely

Voter Registration

Are you a new voter? Have you recently moved and will now be voting at a new polling location? If you want to avoid in person registration, March 18^th is the last day to register to vote online (or by mail) for the Spring Election and Presidential Preference Primary on April 7^th. Start or update your registration at https://myvote.wi.gov/. After March 18^th you will still be able to register to vote in person up until April 3^rd at your local clerk’s office - Find your Municipal Clerk’s Contact Information here (see Find My Clerk under Need Assistance on the left-hand side of the page) or at your polling site on election day.

Absentee Voting

COVID-19 concerns may keep you and many other adults of all ages from going to their polling sites to vote on April 7. Governor Evers and the Wisconsin Elections Commission are encouraging all residents to vote early to minimize election day crowds and minimize exposure. Absentee voting is very easy in Wisconsin and is one way to ensure voters who do not wish to go to the polls on election day that their votes will still be counted. Any eligible Wisconsin voter can vote by absentee ballot for each election. Absentee voting can be done by mail or in-person in the clerk’s office.

If you are already registered to vote at your current address or once you have registered to vote, there are several ways you can request an absentee ballot. If you have internet access, the easiest way is to access MyVote Wisconsin: https://myvote.wi.gov/. If you prefer, you could also download the Application For Absentee Ballot (EL-121). Complete the form and mail it to your municipal clerk's office. To find your local clerk go to: https://myvote.wi.gov/en-US/MyMunicipalClerk and enter in your home address. You may also contact your local clerk by phone, email or mail and request an absentee ballot to be sent to you. If you do not know who your local municipal clerk is, or where the clerk's office is located, you can find this information on the MyVote Wisconsin website (see link above) or by searching a list of all Wisconsin Municipal Clerk Contact Information.

Important Deadlines

In order to make sure this is an option for you and anyone who wishes to use it, there are some important deadlines to pay attention to for the upcoming Spring Election and Presidential Preference Primary on Tues., April 7, 2020:

April 2, 2020 @ 5:00 p.m. - Deadline to Request an Absentee Ballot- Regular and Permanent Overseas Voters- If you are a regular or a Permanent Overseas Voter, your absentee ballot request must be received by your municipal clerk no later than 5:00 p.m. on April 2, 2020.
April 3, 2020 @ 5:00 p.m.- Deadline to Request an Absentee Ballot- Indefinitely Confined - If a voter is indefinitely confined (you certify on the application that you are “indefinitely confined,” meaning that for reason of age, illness, infirmity or disability you are requesting a ballot for all subsequent elections), your absentee ballot request must be received by your municipal clerk no later than 5:00 p.m. on April 3, 2020.
April 7, 2020 @ 8:00 p.m.- Deadline to Return Absentee Ballot- If you have already received or once you receive an absentee ballot, you must return your absentee ballot by mail or delivery to your municipal clerk. Your ballot must be received by your municipal clerk no later than 8:00 p.m. on Election Day, April 7, 2020.

I hope you find this information useful and that you will be able to stay safe and healthy and still say, “I voted.”

Janet Zander

Advocacy & Public Policy Coordinator

p. 715-677-6723 | m. 608-228-7253

Elder Law & Advocacy Center

fb. Facebook.com/WAAN.ACTION | tw. @ZanderWAAN

Greater Wisconsin Agency on Aging Resources, Inc.