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:
- Voter registration details, including deadlines and eligibility requirements.
- In-person voting details, including identification requirements, poll times, and early voting provisions.
- Absentee/mail-in voting deadlines and rules.
- Details about voting rules for people convicted of a felony.
- Contact information election agencies.
- Summaries of noteworthy policy-related events.
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
The table below displays voter registration information specific to Wisconsin's 2024 election cycle.
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
The table below displays in-person voting information specific to Wisconsin's 2024 election cycle.
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.
Early voting permits citizens to cast ballots in person at a polling place prior to an election. In states that permit no-excuse early voting, a voter does not have to provide an excuse for being unable to vote on Election Day. States that allow voters to cast no-excuse absentee/mail-in ballots in person are counted as no-excuse early voting states.
As of February 2024, 47 states and the District of Columbia permitted no-excuse early voting.
Absentee/mail-in voting
- See also: Absentee/mail-in voting
The table below displays absentee voting information specific to Wisconsin's 2024 election cycle.
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
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
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 administration agencies
Election agencies
- See also: State election agencies
Individuals seeking additional information about voting provisions in Wisconsin can contact the following local, state, and federal agencies.
Wisconsin County Clerks
Wisconsin Elections Commission
- Physical Address: 201 West Washington Avenue, Second Floor
- Madison, Wisconsin 53703
- Mailing Address: P.O. Box 7984
- Madison, Wisconsin 53707-7984
- Phone: 608-266-8005
- Toll free: 1-866-VOTE-WIS
- Fax: 608-267-0500
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://myvote.wi.gov/en-us/
U.S. Election Assistance Commission
- 633 3rd Street NW, Suite 200
- Washington, DC 20001
- Phone: 301-563-3919
- Toll free: 1-866-747-1471
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://www.eac.gov
Noteworthy events
2024
State supreme court reinstates use of drop boxes for absentee/mail-in ballots
On July 5, 2024, the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled 4-3 in Priorities USA v. Wisconsin Elections Commission to reinstate the use of ballot drop boxes in the state. The ruling overturned a July 2022 decision by the court that held that state law only permitted voters to return absentee/mail-in ballots by mail or in person at the office of a municipal clerk. After the 4-3 decision in 2022, the balance on the Wisconsin Supreme Court shifted from a conservative to a liberal majority following the April 2023 election of Justice Janet Protasiewicz.
Justice Ann Walsh Bradley writing for the majority—which also included Rebecca Dallet, Jill Karofsky, and Protasiewicz— said that the 2022 decision in Teigen v. Wisconsin Elections Commission "was unsound in principle, and as a consequence, we overrule it."[10] The opinion continued: "Our decision today does not force or require that any municipal clerks use drop boxes. It merely acknowledges what Wis. Stat. § 6.87(4)(b)1. has always meant: that clerks may lawfully utilize secure drop boxes in an exercise of their statutorily-conferred discretion."[10] The majority opinion found that the doctrine of stare decisis was not sufficient to uphold the 2022 ruling because "Teigen has neither fostered reliance nor created a settled body of law."[10] Bradley, Dallet, and Karofsky were all in the minority in the 2022 decision.
In a dissenting opinion, Rebecca Bradley—joined by Annette Ziegler and Brian Hagedorn—wrote, "The majority again forsakes the rule of law in an attempt to advance its political agenda."[10] The minority's dissent continued, "Although the majority purports to "assum[e]" "'stare decisis concerns are paramount where a court has authoritatively interpreted a statute[,]'" the majority discards that principle as an inconvenient obstacle to its policy preferences."[10] All three dissenting justices were part of the majority in the 2022 decision in Teigen.
Reacting to the decision, Brian Schimming, chairman of the Republican Party of Wisconsin, said in a statement: "This latest attempt by leftist justices to placate their far-left backers will not go unanswered by voters."[11]
Election officials in several of the state's most populous jurisdictions, including Milwaukee, and Dane County, which includes the state capital of Madison, approved of the court's decision. Paulina Gutiérrez, the Executive Director of the Milwaukee Election Commission, said: "This is just another opportunity for us to provide a safe and secure way for people to drop off their absentee ballots here to the City of Milwaukee."[12] In 2020, Milwaukee installed 15 drop boxes through a $70,000 grant from the Center for Tech and Civic Life.
In a statement, Dane County Clerk Scott McDonell (D) said, "Having drop boxes in place for the 2024 elections in August and November will encourage civic participation in our democracy."[13]
The court agreed to hear the case on March 12, 2024, bypassing the state court of appeals to consider the single issue of drop box availability. Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers (D) filed a brief urging the court to overturn it's 2022 decision, while the Republican National Committee and the state's Republican Party filed briefs supporting the 2022 decision and urging a dismissal of the challenge.[14][15]
2022
State supreme court ruled on drop boxes for absentee/mail-in ballots
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.[16] 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."[17]
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.[18]
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.[19]
Ballotpedia's Election Administration Legislation Tracker
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The Ballot Bulletin
The Ballot Bulletin is a weekly email that delivers the latest updates on election policy. The Ballot Bulletin tracks developments in election policy around the country, including legislative activity, big-picture trends, and recent news. Each email contains in-depth data from our Election Administration Legislation Tracker. You'll also be able to track relevant legislation, with links to and summaries of the bills themselves.
Recent issues
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- The Ballot Bulletin: August 9, 2024
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- The Ballot Bulletin: July 26, 2024
- The Ballot Bulletin: July 19, 2024
- The Ballot Bulletin: July 12, 2024
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Ballotpedia's election coverage
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See also
- 2024 election dates and deadlines
- Voter ID in Wisconsin
- Election administration in Wisconsin
- Ballot access requirements for political candidates in Wisconsin
Elections in Wisconsin
- Wisconsin elections, 2024
- Wisconsin elections, 2023
- 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
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Wisconsin Elections Commission, "Voter Registration and Proof of Residence," accessed May 4, 2023
- ↑ Wisconsin Election Commission, “Election Day Voting,” accessed May 4, 2023
- ↑ 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 - ↑ 4.0 4.1 Wisconsin Department of Transportation, "Wisconsin ID card for voting purposes - petition process," accessed May 4, 2023
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Wisconsin Election Commission, "What is in-person absentee voting and how can I do it?" accessed May 4, 2023
- ↑ Wisconsin Elections Commission, "Vote Absentee Guide," accessed May 4, 2023
- ↑ Wisconsin Election Commission, "FAQ search results: absentee," accessed May 4, 2023
- ↑ Wisconsin Elections Commission, "I'm a convicted felon or in jail," accessed May 4, 2023
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "Felon Voting Rights," April 6, 2023
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 Supreme Court of Wisconsin, "CASE NO.: 2024AP164," July 5, 2024
- ↑ Republican Party of Wisconsin, "WisGOP Statement on SCOWIS Ruling on Absentee Drop Boxes," July 5, 2024
- ↑ Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Wisconsin Supreme Court reinstates absentee ballot drop boxes," July 5, 2024
- ↑ WisPolitics, "Common Cause Wisconsin: Court’s restoration of ballot drop boxes is a victory for voters and democracy," July 5, 2024
- ↑ AP News, "Wisconsin Supreme Court changes course, will allow expanded use of ballot drop boxes this fall," July 5, 2024
- ↑ WisPolitics, "WisGOP: Files amicus brief against illegal drop boxes," May 7, 2024
- ↑ The New York Times, "Wisconsin Supreme Court Prohibits the Use of Most Drop Boxes for Voting," July 8, 2022
- ↑ NPR, "The Wisconsin Supreme Court says ballot drop boxes aren't allowed in the state," July 8, 2022
- ↑ 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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