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Voting in Wisconsin
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| Voting in 2013 Primaries • Voting on November 5, 2013 Poll Opening and Closing Times Absentee voting • Early voting Open Primary • Closed Primary • Blanket Primary • Online voter registration in the 50 states |
Contents |
Registration
Wisconsin uses an open primary system, meaning voters are not required to declare a party preference when registering to vote.
When and where
There are three ways to register to vote in Wisconsin:[1]
- By mail: Download the Application for Voter Registration GAB-131 in English, or Spanish or Hmong, complete the form and mail it into the municipal clerk's office. Find your Wisconsin Municipal Clerk here. The application must be postmarked no later than the 20th day (3rd Wednesday) before the election.
- In person: Register in the municipal clerk's office up to 5 p.m. or the close of business whichever is later on the Friday before the election.
- At The Polling Place On Election Day: If you wish to register to vote at your polling place, you must bring proof that you reside at your present location. For purposes of voter registration, acceptable forms of proof of residence must include:
- A current and complete name, including both the given and family name; and
- A current and complete residential address, including a numbered street address, if any, and the name of a municipality.
Online registration
As of May 2013, Wisconsin is one of the 37 states that have not implemented online voter registration.
Voting on election day
Photo ID is not currently required in Wisconsin.
Note: On March 6 and March 12, 2012, two separate judges issued injunctions preventing the Government Accountability Board from enforcing photo ID requirements in 2011 Act 23. The Wisconsin Department of Justice appealed those injunctions and the appeals have been certified to the Wisconsin Supreme Court, which on April 16 sent them back to the respective Courts of Appeals.[2]
Poll times
- See also: State Poll Opening and Closing Times
In Wisconsin, all polls are open from 7:00 AM to 8:00 PM Central Time.[3]
Absentee voting
Eligibility
All voters are eligible to vote absentee in Wisconsin. There are no special eligibility requirements for voting absentee.
Deadlines
To vote absentee, an absentee ballot application must be received by the election office at least 5 days prior to the election. A returned absentee ballot must then be received by the elections office by 8pm on election day.
Military and overseas voting
For full details, visit the Federal Voting Assistance Program here.
Early voting
Wisconsin is one of 33 states that has early voting with no specific requirements as to who can vote early. Early voting begins as soon as ballots become available and ends on the day prior to election day. The average number of days prior to an election that voters can cast an early ballot is 21 days in states with a definitive starting date.
