• Official State Website
• Secretary of State Website
• Absentee Voting Rules Webpage

Summary

Voter Eligibility
Citizenship: You must be a U.S. citizen
Age: At least 18 years old on election day
Residence: You must have lived at least 10 days in Wisconsin and the district prior to election day. Residents of fewer than 10 days may apply at the municipal clerk's office or the polling place to vote for president and vice president only. In Milwaukee, the Board of Election Commissioners performs the election duties of the municipal clerk.
If you have moved within the state during the last 10 days before an election, you may vote in your former district either in person or by absentee ballot.
Determining Your Legal Residence
You must be a legal resident of the place where you vote. Your legal residence is the fixed place where you live without plans to move. This fixed place is your residence even when you are away (vacation, hospital, etc.) as long as you plan to return. Students with a permanent residence in one community and a temporary residence at school may choose to vote at either place, but not both.
If you live in a soldiers' home, nursing or group home, any county home or other charitable institution, that is your legal residence if you choose to re-register at that address. However, you may choose to keep voting from your old address.
If you were a Wisconsin voter and moved to another state and do not meet its voting requirements in time for the presidential election, you may vote absentee for president and vice president only using your former Wisconsin address for up to 24 months after leaving Wisconsin.

As of January 1, 2006, all municipalities in Wisconsin require voter registration prior to a person being allowed to vote. The federal "Help American Vote Act of 2002" requires any person registering to vote to: Supply his or her Wisconsin Department of Transportation - issued driver's license number. If the elector has not been issued a Wisconsin driver's license, he/she must provide the last 4 digits of their Social Security Number OR their Wisconsin state ID card number. If the elector does not have a current, valid Wisconsin driver’s license, Wisconsin state ID card, or Social Security Number, the applicant may indicate this by filling in the appropriate circle on the registration form. (Box 2 on Form EB-131) THE REGISTRATION CANNOT BE PROCESSED UNTIL THE ELECTOR PROVIDES THIS INFORMATION.

If the voter has a current, valid Wisconsin driver’s license but does not know the number and did not bring it to the polling place, poll workers should allow the voter to vote by provisional ballot. (Note: the voter CANNOT use the last 4 digits of their Social Security Number if he or she has been issued a Wisconsin driver’s license). The provisional ballot will not be counted until the voter either: a) brings his or her driver’s license number to his or her polling place before the polls close at 8:00 pm on Election Day; or b) transmits (via fax, email, telephone call or personal visit) his or her driver’s license number to the municipal clerk before 4:00 pm on the day after the Election.

Anyone wishing to vote in the state of Wisconsin has three options to register:
1. BY MAIL: Download the Application for Voter Registration (EB131), complete the form and mail it into the municipal clerk's office. List of Wisconsin Municipal Clerks [alphabetical by county] The application must be postmarked no later than the 20th day (3rd Wednesday) before the election.
PLEASE NOTE: State and federal law now requires that any first-time voter submitting a registration application by mail provide a copy of an acceptable identifying document that provides proof of residence. (A “first-time voter” is an individual who has not voted in an election in Wisconsin.) Acceptable forms of proof of residence are outlined below. Please note that first-time voters registering by mail may not use a residential lease as proof of residence. The copy of the form of proof of residence must be included when submitting the registration application. If a copy of proof of residence is not included, the elector will be required to supply it before being issued a ballot at the polling place or before being issued an absentee ballot in the municipal clerk’s office.

2. IN PERSON: Register in the municipal clerk's office up to 5:00 PM or the close of business whichever is later on the day before the election. (For the February Non-Partisan Primary, that date is Monday, February 18, 2008 and for the April General Election that date is, Monday, March 31, 2008.) Note: after the BY MAIL deadline, an elector voting in person in the clerk's office is required to present acceptable proof of residence as outlined below.

3. AT THE POLLING PLACE ON ELECTION DAY: If you wish to register to vote at your polling place, you must bring proof that you have lived at your present location for at least 10 days preceding the election. For purposes of voter registration, acceptable forms of proof of residence must include:

1. A current and complete name, including both the given and family name; and 2. A current and complete residential address, including a numbered street address, if any, and the name of a municipality.

**Forms with an expiration date must be valid on Election Day.

PROOF OF RESIDENCE The following constitute acceptable Proof-of-Residence if the document contains the information specified above:

1. A current and valid Wisconsin driver’s license.
2. A current and valid Wisconsin identification card.
3. Any other official identification card or license issued by a Wisconsin governmental body or unit.
4. Any identification card issued by an employer in the normal course of business and bearing a photo of the card holder, but not including a business card.
5. A real estate tax bill or receipt for the current year or the year preceding the date of the election.
6. A residential lease which is effective for a period that includes election day (NOT for first-time voters registering by mail).
7. A university, college or technical institute fee card (must include photo).
8. A university, college or technical institute identification card (must include photo).
9. A gas, electric or telephone service statement (utility bill) for the period commencing not earlier than 90 days before election day.
10. Bank statement.
11. Paycheck.
12. A check or other document issued by a unit of government.

Voters with Disabilities

• Accessibility - Make polling places, including the path of travel, entrances, exits, and voting areas of each polling facility, accessible to individuals with disabilities.
• Privacy and Independence - Provide the same opportunity for access and participation (including privacy and independence) to individuals with disabilities.
• Training - Train election officials, election inspectors, and election volunteers on how best to promote the access and participation of individuals with the full range of disabilities in elections for Federal office.
• Information - Provide individuals with disabilities with information about the accessibility of polling places.
• FAQs for Voters with Disabilities

Military voting instructions
1. Read and follow the instructions for completing the ballot carefully. Mistakes may spoil your ballot.
2. Complete the ballot in the presence of one (1) witness. The witness cannot be a candidate at the election and must be an adult U.S. citizen. The witness must verify that the individual completed the absentee ballot, but should not view the voter’s choices.
3. Refold the ballot and place inside the certificate envelope.
4. Complete the elector information section on the certificate envelope, and sign the certificate. One witness must sign the certificate and provide his/her address. If the municipal clerk has already completed the elector information, the elector must still sign the certificate, and one witness must sign the certificate and provide his/her address.
5. Seal the certificate envelope.
6. If you make an error while marking your ballot, spoil your ballot, or require a replacement ballot, contact your municipal clerk immediately. You must return your original ballot and certificate envelope before a replacement ballot will be issued.
7. An elector may request that a replacement ballot be e-mailed or FAXed to him/her.
8. For military voters not away from their residence serving active duty: No replacement ballots are mailed after the 4th day preceding Election Day. If you require a replacement ballot after the 4th day preceding Election Day, you must return the original ballot and certificate envelope in person to the municipal clerk. You will be required to vote your replacement absentee ballot in the municipal clerk’s office. Return the ballot (in the certificate envelope) in time for distribution to the polling place. If you have questions about the deadline for returning your ballot, contact the municipal clerk. No late ballots are accepted.
9. For military voters away from their residence serving active duty: Requests for replacement ballots must be received no later than 5:00pm on Election Day. Return the ballot (in the certificate envelope) no later than 5:00pm on the 7th day after the September primary or not later than 5:00pm on the 10th day after the general election.
10. Return the ballot (in the certificate envelope) in time for distribution to the polling place. If you have questions about the deadline for returning your ballot, contact the municipal clerk. No late ballots are accepted.
11. If you requested your absentee ballot by FAX or e-mail, please submit a request with your signature along with your ballot. If the municipal clerk does not receive a written request with your signature, your ballot may not be counted. This requirement only applies if this is your first request for an absentee ballot. (Rev. 2/2007, Wisconsin State Elections Board)

Click here for the PDF.
Polling Place links

Deadlines

• Deadline to register to vote in November 2008 election: November 4, 2008
• Deadline to register for absentee ballot in November 2008 election: October 30, 2008

Voting Equipment


Voting Equipment Approval Process The Wisconsin State Elections Board has promulgated a set of administrative rules to establish the process for the approval of electronic voting equipment in Wisconsin. Before the State Elections Board will begin the process the vendor must sign a written agreement to pay the related costs of the approval process.

When applying for approval in Wisconsin the vendor must submit a copy of a report from an independent testing authority approved by the National Association of State Election Directors that the equipment has been qualified to meet the current 2002 standards established by the Election Assistance Commission.
Voting equipment and materials are reviewed by Elections Board staff and an advisory panel of local election officials. The vendor must set up and demonstrate a series of mock elections; a spring nonpartisan election with a Presidential Preference vote, a September partisan primary election and two November general elections, one that includes a presidential ballot and one that includes a ballot for statewide partisan offices including Governor. There will also be a separate demonstration for members of the public, including persons with disabilities and legislators.
After the Elections Board staff and the advisory panel have reviewed the test results and examined the equipment, the system is demonstrated at an Elections Board meeting. The Elections Board review consists of a demonstration and a review of the evaluation made by the advisory panel and the Elections Board staff. The Elections Board makes the final determination on the approval of the voting system at a public meeting.

Several Vendors have expressed interest in selling voting equipment in Wisconsin. The lists below detail all vendors with approved or pending complete applications for approval. A more detailed status report regarding voting equipment can be found here.

Accessible Voting Equipment Funding:
Section 301(3) of the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) requires that every voting system used in a federal election:

be accessible for individuals with disabilites, including nonvisual accessibility for the blind and visually impaired, in a manner that provided the same for accesss and participation (including privacy and independence) as for other voters....through the use of at least one direct recording electronic voting system or other voting system equipped for individuals with disabilites at each polling place.

In order to comply with this requirement, $18,000,000 in HAVA funds has been allocated for the purchase of one accessible voting system per polling place. This memo explains how municipalities can access these funds. The Accessible Voting Equipment Funding Application should be used by municipalities that apply for funding. The Request for Reimbursement form should be used when submitting invoices, paid receipts, and certificate of performance compliance. Approved Voting Equipment:

• Diebold Election System:
  • System assigned National Association of State Election Directors (NASED) system ID # N-1-06-22-22-001:
    • TSX DRE Touch Screen and AccuView Printer Module, version 4.6.3 (click here to see a demonstration of this equipment)
    • AccuVote-OS (model D) Optical Scan, version 1.96.6 (click here to see a demonstration of this equipment);
    • Global Elections Management System (GEMS) software, version 1.18.24 (click here to see a demonstration of this equipment).

The State Elections Board approved this equipment, along with a series of security recommendations, at the March 22, 2006 meeting.

• Election System & Software:
  • Unity Election Management Suite, version 2.4.3 (click here to see a demonstration of this software), approved under NASED # N-1-02-21-21-002.
  • AutoMARK ballot marker version 1.0 (click here to see a demonstration of this equipment), approved under NASED # N-1-16-22-22-001.

This equipment was approved by the Elections Board January 18, 2006

• System assigned NASED # N-2-02-22-22-005:
  • Unity Election Management Suite, version 3.0.1.0; AutoMARK ballot marker, version 1.2; iVotronic DRE with Real Time Audit Log, version 9.1.4.0; and, Model 100/150/550/650 optical scan equipment, version 2.1.2.0 (click here to see a demonstration of this equipment).
• AutoMARK ballot marker version 1.1.2258 (click here to see a demonstration of this equipment). NASED #: N-2-16-22-22-003
• The AutoMARK ballot marker (versions 1.0 and 1.1.2258) was also approved for the following additional uses:
  • In municipalities that hand count paper ballots if the ballot used and marked by the AutoMARK could also be counted by using ES&S optical scan equipment.
  • For marking ES&S ballots which would be hand-counted and added to the results generated by voting equipment manufactured by other vendors.

This equipment was approved by the Elections Board April 26, 2006.

• Populex: Populex Digital Paper Ballot Voting System, version 2.3 (click here to see a demonstration of this equipment). Approval contingent of receipt of final Independent Testing Agency reports and assignment of NASED system ID number.

The State Elections Board approved this equipment at the May 17, 2006 meeting.

• Sequoia Voting Systems: System assigned NASED system ID # N-1-07-22-22-002:
  • Optech Insight optical scan ballot reader, version. APXK2.10/HPX K1.42 (click here to see a demonstration of this equipment);
  • AVC Edge with VeriVote Printer DRE system, version 5.024 (click here to see a demonstration of this equipment);
  • WinEDS 3.1.012 management software.

The State Elections Board approved this equipment at the March 22, 2006 meeting.

• Vote-PAD: Voting-on-Paper Assistive Device (click here to see a demonstration of this equipment)

This non-electronic system equipment was approved for use in municipalities that hand-count paper ballots by the Elections Board on January 18, 2006.

• Voting Technologies International: VotWare DRE Voting System, firmware release version 5.0.4.1; Ballot Builder v. 5.0.4.1g; Surevote DRE v.5.0.4.1g; EMSTools v.5.0.4.1h, and related system components.

The State Elections Board approved this equipment at the July 19, 2006 meeting.

• Voter Action Wisconsin Complaint
  
• Voting Equipment Audits
  
• Voting Equipment Security
  
• Voting Equipment Use By Wisconsin Municipality