Last-Minute Reminders Ahead of Tuesday’s Election

MADISON – The 2024 General Election is almost here! The Wisconsin Elections Commission is providing the following reminders for voters:

1. If you’re planning to go to the polls on Tuesday, you can check the WEC’s MyVote.wi.gov website to verify your registration status, find your polling place, see what’s on your ballot, and more.

Your polling place may have changed for Tuesday’s General Election. MyVote.wi.gov allows you to verify your polling place as well as what will be on your ballot. You can also track the status of your absentee ballot or see the location of your municipality’s absentee ballot drop box if it has one and has uploaded that information.

2. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. statewide.

Polling place hours are the same across Wisconsin, no matter where you live. You need to be in line by 8 p.m. to vote.

3. If you’re not registered to vote, you can do so at your polling place on Election Day.

Go to MyVote.wi.gov to see whether you’re registered to vote. If you’re not, you can fill out a paper registration form at your polling place (as long as you’re an eligible elector) and then proceed to vote. In order to register, a proof-of-residence document with a current address is required. Learn more at https://elections.wi.gov/Register.

Online voter registration for future elections resumes after the Nov. 5 General Election.

4. If you haven’t already returned your absentee ballot, do so as soon as possible.

All absentee ballots must arrive to your polling place or central count facility by 8 p.m. on Election Day to be counted. It’s too late to mail back your ballot.

Instead, contact your municipal clerk to learn where you should return your absentee ballot. Depending on your municipality, options include dropping it off at your municipal clerk’s office or, if available, in a secure drop box. If you use either of these options on Election Day, do so as early as possible to allow ample time for your local election officials to deliver the ballot to your polling place or central count facility to be counted.

Depending on your municipality, you may be able to deliver absentee ballots directly to your normal polling place, but again, it must arrive before polls close at 8 p.m. Municipalities that process absentee ballots in central count facilities may require the voter to return the absentee ballot directly to the central count facility, and you would not be able to return it to your polling place.

5. You need an acceptable photo ID to vote and your ID for voting does not need to show your current address.

Most voters already have the photo ID they need to vote, such as a Wisconsin driver license or ID. If you have photo ID questions, please visit https://elections.wi.gov/photoid or call 1-866-VOTE-WIS for information. A voter who does not have an acceptable photo ID must be offered a provisional ballot and the opportunity to submit a photo ID within three days after the election.

6. If you’re a voter with a disability, you have additional options when returning your absentee ballot.

Pursuant to the Voting Rights Act, any Wisconsin voter who requires assistance with mailing or delivering an absentee ballot to their municipal clerk due to a disability must be permitted to receive assistance from a person of the voter’s choice. This person cannot be the voter’s employer or an agent of the employer. This person also cannot be an officer or agent of the voter’s union. Contact your municipal clerk if you have questions.

7. Election officials are the most reliable source of information about elections.

Be cautious when engaging with election information, especially when it is unsolicited. The WEC has heard recently about many unsolicited communications from third-party groups that may be providing inaccurate or misleading election information. Sometimes, these misleading communications even appear to mimic communications from an official government source.

When it comes to voting information, Wisconsinites should make sure to rely upon accurate, official sources. This includes the WEC’s official MyVote.wi.gov website. You can also contact your municipal clerk, who can confirm your registration status and answer any questions you might have. You can find your clerk’s contact information on the MyVote website.

8. Be patient when waiting for Tuesday night’s results, which will be unofficial.

Unofficial election results take time – it will likely not be until the early morning hours on Wednesday, Nov. 6 or later that all of Wisconsin’s counties will post the full unofficial results.

Election officials prioritize accuracy over speed. It doesn’t mean anything is wrong if it takes a while for unofficial results to come in.

No matter what you see on TV or online, it will take weeks for Wisconsin’s unofficial results to become official. Over these weeks, officials at the municipal, county, and state level will review the results to ensure they are accurate.

The deadline for the state to certify the statewide results is Dec. 1.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.