Voting in Wisconsin
- Election date: Nov. 3
- Registration deadline(s): Oct. 14 (mail and online); Oct. 30 (in person)
- Online registration: Yes
- Same-day registration: Yes
- Recount laws
- Early voting starts: Varies locally
- Absentee/mail voting deadline(s): Nov. 3 (received)
- Processing, counting, and challenging absentee/mail-in ballots
- Voter ID: Photo ID
- Poll times: 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
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| Select a state from the menu below to learn more. |
Contents
- 1 Voter registration
- 2 Voting in elections
- 3 Absentee voting
- 4 Early voting
- 5 Convicted felons' voting rights
- 6 Election administration costs
- 7 Election agencies
- 8 Noteworthy events
- 9 Election policy ballot measures
- 10 Election policy legislation
- 11 Recent news
- 12 See also
- 13 External links
- 14 Footnotes
Voting policies are enacted and enforced primarily at the state level. These policies, which include voter identification requirements, early voting provisions, online voter registration systems, and more, dictate the conditions under which American citizens cast their ballots in their individual states.
This page includes the following:
- Voter registration details, including methods of registering and requirements
- Details on voting in elections, including identification requirements, poll times, and primary election type
- Absentee/mail-in voting rules[3]
- Early voting rules
- Convicted felons' voting rights
- Election administration costs report
- Election agencies list
- Election policy ballot measures list
- Election policy legislation list
See Election governance in Wisconsin for more detailed information about election and voting policy in the state, including voter list maintenance policies, provisional ballot rules, and post-election auditing practices.
Voter registration
To register to vote in Wisconsin, one must be a citizen of the United States and a resident of Wisconsin for at least 28 days prior to the election. A voter must be at least 18 years of age.[4][5]
One can register by mailing a form to the local municipal clerk. An individual can also register in person at the municipal clerk's office. If registering by mail, the application must be postmarked no later than 20 days before the election. In-person registration must be completed by 5 p.m. on the Friday before Election Day. Same-day voter registration is also available, as long as the registrant provides proof of residency at the polls.[4]
Automatic registration
Wisconsin does not practice automatic voter registration.
Online registration
- See also: Online voter registration
Wisconsin has implemented an online voter registration system. Residents can register to vote by visiting this website.
Same-day registration
Wisconsin allows same-day voter registration.
Residency requirements
Wisconsin law requires 10 days of residency in a precinct before a person may vote.
Verification of citizenship
Wisconsin does not require proof of citizenship for voter registration.
Verifying your registration
The site My Vote, run by the Wisconsin Election Commission, allows residents to check their voter registration status online.
Voting in elections
Voter identification
Wisconsin requires voters to present photo identification while voting.[6]
The following list of accepted ID was current as of November 2019. Click here for the Wisconsin Secretary of State's page on accepted ID to ensure you have the most current information.
- Wisconsin Department of Transportation-issued driver license, even if driving privileges are revoked or suspended
- Wisconsin Department of Transportation-issued identification card
- Military ID card issued by the U.S. Uniformed Services (including retired and dependent uniformed service IDs)
- U.S. passport book or card
- Certificate of naturalization (that was issued no earlier than two years before the date of the election)
- Identification card issued by a federally recognized Indian tribe in Wisconsin (can be expired or unexpired)
- Driver’s license receipt issued by Wisconsin Department of Transportation (valid for 45 days from date issued)
- Identification card receipt issued by Wisconsin Department of Transportation (valid for 45 days from date issued)
- Wisconsin Department of Motor Vehicles ID Petition Process Photo Receipt (valid for 180 days from date issued)
- Veteran Affairs ID card (must be unexpired or have no expiration date)
- Photo identification card issued by a Wisconsin accredited university or college, or technical college that contains the card was issued and the signature of the student. The expiration date can be no later than two years after the date of issuance. The voter must also provide a separate document proving enrollment (tuition fee receipt, enrollment verification letter, or class schedule).
The following voters do not need to provide photo ID:[6]
- Confidential electors
- Active military and permanent overseas voters who vote by absentee ballot
- Indefinitely confined voters who vote by absentee ballot
- Voters in special care facilities who vote by absentee ballot
Voters can obtain a free Wisconsin State ID Card at a Wisconsin Division of Motor Vehicles office. Voters need the following to apply for an ID:[7]
- Proof of name and date of birth (birth certificate)
- Proof of identity (Social Security Card, Medicaid/Medicare Card, etc.)
- Proof of Wisconsin residency (utility bill, government mail, lease, etc.)
- Proof of U.S. citizenship (U.S. Birth certificate or citizenship paperwork)
- Social Security Number
Voters who do not have all or any of the materials listed above can still obtain an ID. Call the voter ID hotline for assistance at (844) 588-1069.[7]
Background
A bill requiring voters to present photo identification at the polls was introduced in the Wisconsin State Legislature in January 2011. Governor Scott Walker (R) signed the bill into law on May 25, 2011. A series of legal challenges followed. Ultimately, on March 23, 2015, the Supreme Court of the United States declined to hear a challenge against the law, allowing the photo identification requirement to take full effect. The law was enforced in all elections following the April 7, 2015, primary. For more information on the voter ID law, click here.
As of April 2021, 35 states enforced (or were scheduled to begin enforcing) voter identification requirements. A total of 21 states required voters to present photo identification at the polls; the remainder accepted other forms of identification. Valid forms of identification differ by state. Commonly accepted forms of ID include driver's licenses, state-issued identification cards, and military identification cards.[8][9]
Poll times
- See also: State poll opening and closing times
In Wisconsin, all polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Central Time. An individual who is in line at the time polls close must be allowed to vote.[10]
Primary election type
- See also: Primary elections in Wisconsin
A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. Wisconsin utilizes an open primary system; registered voters do not have to be members of a party to vote in that party's primary.[11][12][13][14]
Absentee voting
- See also: Absentee voting
All voters are eligible to vote absentee in Wisconsin. There are no special eligibility requirements for voting absentee.[15]
To vote absentee, an application must be received by the municipal clerk no later than 5 p.m. on the Thursday before Election Day. If mailed through the U.S. Postal Service, a returned absentee ballot "must be postmarked no later than Election Day and received by the municipal clerk no later than 4 p.m. on the Friday after the election." For other means of delivery, the completed ballot must be "delivered to the municipal clerk no later than 8 p.m. on Election Day."[15]
Early voting
- See also: Early voting
Wisconsin permits early voting. Learn more by visiting this website.
As of April 2021, 38 states and the District of Columbia permitted early voting. Early voting permits citizens to cast ballots in person at a polling place prior to an election. In states that permit early voting, a voter does not have to provide an excuse for being unable to vote on election day. States that do not permit early voting still permit some or all citizens to vote early by mail—often known as absentee voting. Some states allow no-excuse absentee voting, while others require an excuse. States that allow in-person absentee voting without an excuse are counted among early voting states. Click here for early voting laws by state.[16]
Convicted felons' voting rights
- See also: Voting rights for convicted felons
In Wisconsin, individuals convicted of a felony automatically regain their right to vote upon completion of their entire sentence, including incarceration and parole or probation, or if they receive a pardon.[17]
Voting rights for convicted felons vary from state to state. In the majority of states, convicted felons cannot vote while they are incarcerated but may regain the right to vote upon release from prison or at some point thereafter.[18][19]
Election administration costs
National Conference of State Legislatures report, 2018
On February 14, 2018, the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) released a report on the costs of election administration in the states: "The Price of Democracy: Splitting the Bill for Elections." The report's authors noted that "no one knows how much [states] spend on elections ... [because] good research on election costs is slim." Generally, local units of government (most often counties, but sometimes cities and towns) are primarily responsible for election administration costs, though states and the federal government may also contribute. The report identified the states listed in the table below as assuming financial responsibility for at least some aspects of election administration.[20]
To access the complete NCSL report, click here.
| Election administration costs assumed by state | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| State pays all expenses for federal or state elections | State bears a portion of election costs | State pays for statewide special elections or statewide elections that don’t coincide with regularly scheduled elections | State pays for primary elections (statewide, presidential, or both) |
| Alaska Delaware |
Alabama Colorado Hawaii Kentucky Louisiana Rhode Island |
Arkansas Florida Iowa Michigan Missouri New Jersey North Dakota Ohio Oregon Pennsylvania Tennessee Washington West Virginia |
Arizona Arkansas Idaho Kansas Michigan Minnesota Missouri South Carolina Tennessee Texas Virginia Washington |
| Note: If a state is not listed above, it was not included in the report. Source: National Conference of State Legislatures, "The Price of Democracy: Splitting the Bill for Elections," February 14, 2018 | |||
Election administration cost database
The Wisconsin Elections Commission maintains a database on election administration costs in the state. That database is accessible here.
Election agencies
- See also: State election agencies
Individuals seeking additional information about voting provisions in Wisconsin can contact the following state and federal agencies.
Wisconsin Government Accountability Board
- 212 East Washington Avenue, 3rd Floor
- Madison, Wisconsin 53707-7984
- Telephone: 608-261-2028
- Email: gab@wisconsin.gov
U.S. Election Assistance Commission
- 1335 East West Highway, Suite 4300
- Silver Spring, Maryland 20910
- Telephone: 866-747-1471
Noteworthy events
2020
Federal appeals court reverses in part and affirms in party district court ruling on early voting, voter ID laws
On June 29, 2020, a three-judge panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit reversed a district court decision that had found that adjustments made to the number of days and hours for in-person absentee voting, the state's durational residency requirement, and the prohibition against sending absentee ballots via email violated the United States Constitution and/or Voting Rights Act. The appeals court affirmed the district court's decision that had invalidated a law disallowing the use of expired student IDs for voting purposes. Judge Frank Easterbrook penned the court's opinion, which was joined by Judges Michael Kanne and Diane Sykes.[21]
2019
Federal judge blocks changes to early voting, voter ID laws
On January 17, 2019, Judge James Peterson blocked changes to Wisconsin's early voting law signed into law in December 2018 by outgoing Gov. Scott Walker (R). The law in question restricted early voting to a 14-day period preceding an election, ending on the Sunday before the election. The law also disallowed the use of expired student IDs and temporary IDs more than 60 days old as identification for voting purposes. Peterson blocked the enactment of similar changes in 2016. As of January 21, 2019, full consideration of the case was pending before the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.[22]
Election policy ballot measures
Ballotpedia has tracked the following ballot measures relating to election and campaign policy in Wisconsin.
- Wisconsin Attorney General Term of Office Amendment, Question 4 (April 1967)
- Wisconsin Constitutional Amending Procedure Amendment, Question 3 (April 1964)
- Wisconsin County Coroner and Medical Examiner Option Amendment, Question 2 (April 1972)
- Wisconsin County Coroner and Surveyor Amendment, Question 2 (April 1965)
- Wisconsin Deletion of 1902 Transitional Provision Amendment, Question 5 (1982)
- Wisconsin Election Amendment, Question 2 (1882)
- Wisconsin Election and Terms of Sheriffs, Question 1 (1998)
- Wisconsin Governor and Lieutenant Governor Joint Election Amendment, Question 5 (April 1967)
- Wisconsin Governor and Lieutenant Governor Term of Office Amendment, Question 1 (April 1967)
- Wisconsin Judicial Terms of Office Amendment, Question 2 (April 1953)
- Wisconsin Modernizing Constitutional Text Amendment, Question 2 (April 1986)
- Wisconsin Primary Election Law Referendum, Question 1 (1904)
- Wisconsin Prohibition on Felons Holding Office, Amendment 1 (1996)
- Wisconsin Recall Primary Elections Amendment, Question 1 (April 1981)
- Wisconsin Secretary of State Term of Office Amendment, Question 2 (April 1967)
- Wisconsin Sheriff Term Limits Amendment, Question 6 (April 1967)
- Wisconsin State Executive Official Terms of Office, Question 3 (April 1951)
- Wisconsin State Treasurer Term of Office Amendment, Question 3 (April 1967)
- Wisconsin Term Length Wording Amendment, Question 4 (April 1979)
- Wisconsin Terms of County Officers Amendment, Question 1 (April 2005)
- Wisconsin Voting Rights for Children of U.S. Citizens Living Abroad, Question 1 (2000)
Election policy legislation
The following is a list of recent election bills that have been introduced in or passed by the Wisconsin state legislature. To learn more about each of these bills, click the bill title. This information is provided by BillTrack50 and LegiScan.
Note: Due to the nature of the sorting process used to generate this list, some results may not be relevant to the topic. If no bills are displayed below, no legislation pertaining to this topic has been introduced in the legislature recently.
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Wisconsin voting. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
- Ballot access requirements for political candidates in Wisconsin
- Redistricting in Wisconsin
- Wisconsin Voter ID requirements and history
Elections in Wisconsin
- Wisconsin elections, 2022
- Wisconsin elections, 2021
- Wisconsin elections, 2020
- Wisconsin elections, 2019
- Wisconsin elections, 2018
- Wisconsin elections, 2017
- Wisconsin elections, 2016
- Wisconsin elections, 2015
- Wisconsin elections, 2014
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ The New York Times, "Federal Appeals Court Permits Wisconsin Voter ID Law," September 12, 2014
- ↑ The New York Times, "Wisconsin Decides Not to Enforce Voter ID Law," March 23, 2015
- ↑ We use the term "absentee/mail-in voting" to describe systems in which requests or applications are required. We use the term "all-mail voting" to denote systems where the ballots themselves are sent automatically to all voters. We use the hyphenate term for absentee voting because some states use “mail voting” (or a similar alternative) to describe what has traditionally been called "absentee voting."
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Wisconsin Elections Comission, "Voter Registration," accessed October 8, 2019
- ↑ Wisconsin Elections Commission, "UPDATED: 7th Circuit Court of Appeals Ruling in One Wisconsin Institute Case," June 30, 2020
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 My Vote Wisconsin, "Photo ID Required," accessed October 6, 2019
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Wisconsin Department of Transportation, "Wisconsin ID card for voting purposes - petition process," accessed October 6, 2019
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "Voter Identification Requirements|Voter ID Laws," June 5, 2017
- ↑ The Washington Post, "Do I need an ID to vote? A look at the laws in all 50 states," October 27, 2014
- ↑ MyVote Wisconsin, “2020 Voting Deadlines,” accessed October 17, 2019
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "State Primary Election Types," accessed October 25, 2019
- ↑ FairVote, "Primaries," accessed October 25, 2019
- ↑ Ballotpedia research conducted December 26, 2013, through January 3, 2014, researching and analyzing various state websites and codes.
- ↑ Wisconsin Elections Commission, "Top Five Things Voters Should Know for Primary Day," accessed October 25, 2019
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 Government Accountability Board - State of Wisconsin, "Absentee voting," accessed December 17, 2013
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "State Laws Governing Early Voting," August 2, 2019
- ↑ Wisconsin Elections Commission, "EX-FELONS AND INCARCERATED VOTERS," accessed October 21, 2019
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "Felon Voting Rights," accessed July 15, 2014
- ↑ American Civil Liberties Union, "State Criminal Re-enfranchisement Laws," accessed September 13, 2019
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "The Price of Democracy: Splitting the Bill for Elections," February 14, 2018
- ↑ United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, "Luft v. Evers," June 29, 2020
- ↑ Governing, "Early-Voting Restrictions Passed in Wisconsin Lame-Duck Session Blocked by Judge," January 18, 2019
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