Voting in Wisconsin

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The policies governing voter participation 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 people cast their ballots in their respective states.

This article includes the following information about voting policies in Wisconsin:

See Election administration in Wisconsin for more additional information about election administration in the state, including voter list maintenance policies, provisional ballot rules, and post-election auditing practices.

Do you have questions about your elections? Looking for information about your local election official? Click here to use U.S. Vote Foundation’s election official lookup tool.

Voter registration

Eligibility and registration details

Check your voter registration status here.

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 by Election Day.[1]

Prospective voters can register online or by mailing a form to their municipal clerk. 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. Prospective voters can also register in person at their municipal clerk's office up until the Friday before the election or at their polling place on Election Day. (Same-day voter registration requires proof of residency.)[1]


In-person voting

Poll times

See also: State poll opening and closing times

In Wisconsin, 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.[2]

Voter identification

See also: Voter identification laws by state

Wisconsin requires voters to present photo identification while voting.[3]

The following list of accepted ID was current as of May 2023. 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, with or without a photo
  • Military ID card issued by the U.S. Uniformed Services
  • U.S. passport book or card
  • Identification card issued by a federally recognized Indian tribe in Wisconsin (can be expired or unexpired)
  • Photo identification card issued by a Wisconsin accredited university or college, or technical college, containing the date the card was issued and a signature. (If expired, the voter must also provide a separate document proving enrollment).
  • Veteran's photo ID card issued by a government authority
  • Certificate of naturalization issued within the past two years
  • 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 60 days from date issued)

The following voters do not need to provide photo ID:[3]

  • Confidential electors
  • Active military and permanent overseas voters who vote by absentee ballot
  • Indefinitely confined voters 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:[4]

  • 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.[4]

Early voting

See also: Early voting

Wisconsin permits early voting. Learn more by visiting this website.

Absentee/mail-in voting

See also: Absentee/mail-in voting

All voters are eligible to vote absentee/by mail in Wisconsin. There are no special eligibility requirements for voting absentee/by mail.[5][6]

To vote absentee by mail, a request to the municipal clerk must be received by 5 p.m. on the Thursday before Election Day. Once completed, returned ballots must be received no later than 8 p.m. on Election Day.[5][7]


Local election officials

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Do you need information about elections in your area? Are you looking for your local election official? Click here to visit the U.S. Vote Foundation and use their election official lookup tool.

Voting rules for people convicted of a felony

See also: Voting rights for convicted felons

In Wisconsin, people convicted of a felony automatically regain their right to vote upon completion of their entire sentence, including incarceration and parole or probation.[8]

Voting rights for people convicted of a felony vary from state to state. In the majority of states, people convicted of a felony cannot vote while they are incarcerated but may regain the right to vote upon release from prison or at some point thereafter.[9]


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

Seal of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission
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

633 3rd Street NW, Suite 200
Washington, DC 20001
Telephone: 301-563-3919
Toll free: 1-866-747-1471

Noteworthy events

2022

On June 28, 2021, two Wisconsin voters filed suit in Waukesha County Circuit Court, challenging the legality of guidance by the Wisconsin Elections Commission that allowed for the use of absentee/mail-in ballot drop. On January 13, 2022, the circuit court ruled in favor of the plaintiffs and invalidated the guidance. The Wisconsin Elections Commission appealed, and the intermediate appellate court stayed the circuit court's order through the February 15, 2022, primary election. The plaintiffs petitioned the Wisconsin Supreme Court to vacate the stay. On January 28, 2022, the high court declined to vacate the appellate court's stay. On February 2, 2022, the Wisconsin Elections Commission petitioned the state supreme court to extend the appellate court's stay through the April 5, 2022, election and resolution of the case on the merits. On February 11, 2022, the Wisconsin Supreme Court issued a 4-3 ruling that allowed the circuit court's ban on absentee/mail-in ballot drop-boxes to take effect in the April 5, 2022, election.Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; invalid names, e.g. too many

The court majority – comprising Justices Annette Ziegler, Rebecca Bradley, Patience Drake Roggensack, and Brian Hagedorn – said, "The record before us, including the timetable for making the necessary administrative changes as outlined by the court of appeals, indicates that the Commission can comply with the circuit court's order so as to ameliorate concerns about voter confusion and election administration before the April 5, 2022, election commences. The need for additional relief in the form of an extended stay has not been established."Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; invalid names, e.g. too many

Justice Ann Walsh Bradley dissented: "Once again, a majority of this court makes it more difficult to vote. With apparent disregard for the confusion it is causing, the majority provides next to no notice to municipal clerks, changing procedures at the eleventh hour and applying different procedures from those that applied to the primary in the very same election cycle." Justices Rebecca Frank Dallet and Jill J. Karofsky joined Bradley's dissent.Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; invalid names, e.g. too many

On July 8, 2022, the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled 4-3 that state law prohibited the use of most drop boxes for returning absentee ballots.[10] Justice Rebecca Bradley, writing for the majority, said, "The key phrase is 'in person' and it must be assigned its natural meaning. 'In person' denotes 'bodily presence' and the concept of doing something personally." In a dissent, Justice Ann Walsh Bradley wrote, "[The majority] has seemingly taken the opportunity to make it harder to vote or to inject confusion into the process whenever it has been presented with the opportunity. Without justification, [the majority] fans the flames of electoral doubt that threaten our democracy."[11]


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.[12]

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.[13]

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See also

Elections in Wisconsin


External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Wisconsin Elections Commission, "Voter Registration and Proof of Residence," accessed May 4, 2023
  2. ↑ Wisconsin Election Commission, “Election Day Voting,” accessed May 4, 2023
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Wisconsin Elections Commission, "Photo ID," accessed May 4, 2023 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "wvid" defined multiple times with different content
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Wisconsin Department of Transportation, "Wisconsin ID card for voting purposes - petition process," accessed May 4, 2023
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Wisconsin Election Commission, "What is in-person absentee voting and how can I do it?" accessed May 4, 2023
  6. ↑ Wisconsin Elections Commission, "Vote Absentee Guide," accessed May 4, 2023
  7. ↑ Wisconsin Election Commission, "FAQ search results: absentee," accessed May 4, 2023
  8. ↑ Wisconsin Elections Commission, "I'm a convicted felon or in jail," accessed May 4, 2023
  9. ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "Felon Voting Rights," April 6, 2023
  10. ↑ The New York Times, "Wisconsin Supreme Court Prohibits the Use of Most Drop Boxes for Voting," July 8, 2022
  11. ↑ NPR, "The Wisconsin Supreme Court says ballot drop boxes aren't allowed in the state," July 8, 2022
  12. ↑ United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, "Luft v. Evers," June 29, 2020
  13. ↑ Governing, "Early-Voting Restrictions Passed in Wisconsin Lame-Duck Session Blocked by Judge," January 18, 2019
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