In-Person Absentee Voting (IPAV) for Spring Primary Begins on Tuesday, Feb. 4

MADISON, WI – Key deadlines are rapidly approaching for eligible Wisconsin voters seeking to cast an absentee ballot before the Feb. 18 Spring Primary, according to the Wisconsin Elections Commission.

Starting on Tuesday, Feb. 4 – two weeks before Election Day – clerks can begin to issue in-person absentee ballots at the clerk’s office or another designated location.

The in-person absentee voting (IPAV) process, sometimes called “early voting,” involves a voter both requesting a ballot and completing that ballot on the same trip to the clerk’s office or designated location.

When a voter requests an absentee ballot in their municipal clerk’s office, or another designated location, they will complete their ballot immediately, seal the ballot in the proper envelope, and return it to a member of the clerk’s staff. No IPAV ballots may be taken out of the voting site.

Voters need to show an acceptable photo ID when voting by in-person absentee ballot. More information about acceptable photo IDs can be found on our Photo ID page.

According to state law, clerks can make in-person absentee voting available through Sunday, Feb. 16. Municipalities are not required to offer IPAV through Feb. 16, but they cannot offer it beyond that date. Voters should check with their municipal clerk to learn the dates and times for IPAV opportunities in their community.

Meanwhile, Thursday, Feb. 13 is the last day for most voters to request an absentee ballot by mail, online, email, or fax for the Feb. 18 Spring Primary. In practical terms, though, that results in an unrealistic timeframe for the voter to receive the ballot, complete it, and return it to their clerk by Election Day.

Voters who still need to request an absentee ballot by mail should act immediately, said Megan Wolfe, administrator of the WEC and the state’s chief election official. Registered voters can make their requests online at https://myvote.wi.gov.

“Your ballot must be returned to your clerk by 8 p.m. on Election Day to be counted, and the U.S. Postal Service says it can take up to seven days for a letter to arrive,” said Wolfe. “If you’re planning to mail your ballot back, you should do so as soon as possible.”

As noted above, voters faced with tight deadlines for absentee voting by mail have the option of using the IPAV process between Feb. 4 and Feb. 16 in their clerk’s office or another designated voting location. Again, IPAV timing within that window may vary from community to community, so voters should check with their local clerk to confirm their IPAV opportunities.

“We want citizens to choose the option for voting that works best for them, but time is running out for those who wish to vote before Election Day,” Wolfe said. “For voters who choose to vote absentee by mail, we want to be sure they have the information they need to navigate that process in a timely fashion. And, of course, every voter who is eligible to vote in the state can also vote via IPAV or in person on Election Day.”

There are about 40 municipalities, including Milwaukee and Green Bay, that count absentee ballots at a central location. Voters in those cities, villages and towns should check with their municipal clerk about where to return their ballots on Election Day. A list of central count municipalities is available here: https://elections.wi.gov/central-count-absentee-ballot-municipalities

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.