Your Right to Vote

Informational Videos:

You can vote early (in-person or by mail) from Monday through Friday, the 2 weeks prior to Election Day.

  • Contact your Municipal Clerk to request an absentee ballot or find out what hours are available for in-person early voting.
  • You do NOT need to provide a reason or “excuse” for voting early or absentee.
  • If voting absentee by mail, you must request your Absentee Ballot by 5pm on the Thursday before Election Day.  But DO NOT WAIT – order your ballot today!  (You can make this request via email.)
  • You will need to provide a photocopy or scan of your Photo ID with your request for an Absentee Ballot.
  • If voting by mail, your Absentee Ballot must be received by your Municipal Clerk by 8pm on Election Day. (The postmark date does not count.) Mail in your ballot right away, or drop it off at your Municipal Clerk’s office in-person!
  • If voting by mail, make sure your witness provides their full mailing address. Do NOT write “same.”

Your employer is required to give you 3 hours off to vote on Election Day.
This time may be unpaid, and you need to request it at least 24 hours in advance.
Here is a form you can complete and give to your Human Resources Manager.

Are you Registered to Vote?
If you have moved (even within Wisconsin or within the same town) since the last time you voted, you must register to vote at your new address. Click here to check whether you are registered.

  • You can Register to Vote on Election Day at the polls.
  • Photo ID is NOT required to register to vote; however, you can use a non-expired Wisconsin Driver’s License or Photo ID card with your current address as proof of residence
  • You must provide proof that you reside at your current address, such as a utility bill, bank statement, paystub, lease, or property tax bill. The poll worker will inspect your proof of residence document and hand it back to you.

What about Photo ID?
Everyone will be asked to present Photo ID at the polls when they cast a ballot. This means you need to bring it with you to every election, even if the poll worker has known you their entire life. Visit the official Wisconsin Voter ID website here.

I have a Wisconsin Driver’s License (or Photo ID Card) from the DMV:

  • Great! You’re all set! (Note that a paper receipt from the DMV also works for voting.)
  • Your license does NOT need to have your current address; any Wisconsin address works.
  • Your license does NOT need to be current or valid; as long as the Expiration Date is on or after November 8, 2016, it will work for voting. If your ID is expired, check this website for more info.

My License is from another state; or I do not have one:

  • Drivers Licenses from out-of-state (e.g., Minnesota) do NOT work for voting.
    You’ll need another form of ID…
  • If you have a US Passport, Military ID, Tribal ID, or Veterans Affairs ID, you can use that. There is a complete list of acceptable IDs on www.myvote.WI.gov
  • Again, your ID does NOT need to have your current address.

I don’t have any of the IDs listed above:

  • That’s OK! But you will need to go to the DMV right away!
  • You do NOT need to provide a birth certificate or pay anything
What if there’s a problem?
If you are a US citizen and at least 18 years old, you have a RIGHT to Vote. Don’t let anyone take that away from you. Be courteous, but firm. Poll workers and DMV staff are public servants (and our neighbors) who are doing their best, but Wisconsin’s voting laws have changed so quickly it is possible that they may be acting on incorrect or incomplete information.

If you are told you cannot vote or cannot get a Photo ID:

  • Ask exactly why you are being denied a vote or Photo ID.
  • Ask to see the rule or policy they reference in writing, and what you would need to do in order to vote or get your ID. (It could be as simple as being at the wrong polling place.)
  • If you think a mistake has been made, or do not understand the reason for their decision, ask to speak to the Chief Election Inspector, your Municipal Clerk, or a DMV supervisor.
  • If you are unable to resolve the issue on site, contact one or more of the following resources:
    • WI Elections Commission Hotline – 866-VOTE-WIS (866-868-3947)
    • WI DMV Voter ID Hotline – 844-588-1069
    • Vote Riders (Photo ID issues) – 844-33-VTRID (844-338-8743)
    • WI Election Protection Coalition – 866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683)
    • WI League of Women Voters – 608-256-0827
    • US Dept of Justice – Civil Rights Division – 800-253-3931
  • As a last resort, request a provisional ballot. Note that you may have to return to your Municipal Clerk with additional documentation by 4:00pm on the Friday (3 days) after Election Day.

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