Here are the most commonly referenced topics, reports, guidance, and other documents for the November 5, 2024 General Election.
Due to the recent passage of 2023 Wisconsin Act 94 creating new legislative district maps, there are important considerations to keep in mind when reviewing the 2024 candidate tracking documents.
The Type A Notice is an “announcement” that an election will occur in the near future. The Type A Notice lists the offices up for election and the current incumbents.
The Type C Notice is different from the Type A Notice of Referendum. It includes the resolution that directed the referendum, as well as an explanatory statement which describes the effect of a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ vote.
A copy of the Type C Notice must be provided to municipal clerks for posting at each polling place on Election Day.
The Type B Notice provides instructions to electors on the procedures for voting a ballot and also includes a sample ballot. These notices are not published by the WEC, but by Municipal and County Clerks.
The Type B Notice is published the day before the primary and election, or if a weekly paper is used, in the closest preceding issue. The Type B Notice is also posted at the polling place on election day along with two sample ballots.
The Type D Notice is published for any regularly-scheduled* or special primary or election at which municipal, federal, state, county, municipal or school district or referenda appear on the ballot.
The Type D Notice is published the day before the primary and election, or if a weekly paper is used, in the closest preceding issue. The Type D Notice is also posted at the polling place on election day.
The Type E Notice informs the public of the times and locations where absentee voting is conducted for any regularly-scheduled* or special primary or election at which federal, state, county, municipal or school district offices or referenda appear on the ballot.
The Type E Notice is published on the 4th Tuesday preceding a primary or election.
Candidates or their representatives may submit nomination papers in-person at the Wisconsin Elections Commission office. To make this process as efficient as possible, candidates should make an appointment to submit nomination papers to Commission staff. However, our office does accept walk-in submissions.
Making an Appointment and Preparing to File:
Appointments are available weekdays between 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Please note that the Elections Commission will be closed on Christmas Eve (12/24/2024), Christmas Day (12/25/2024), New Year's Eve (12/31/2024) and New Year's Day (1/1/2025).
Organize your papers prior to arriving at the WEC office and number each petition page in sequential order.
Arriving for your appointment:
The WEC office is located at 201 W. Washington Ave. Madison, WI 53703. The entire building is locked, and visitors must sign in with the front desk staff before being guided to the WEC office on the second floor. Appointments are scheduled for 30 minutes, however most appointments take around 15 minutes.
Appointments on the Deadline
Appointments on the deadline, January 7, 2025, are only available on a first come, first served basis. Please plan extra time if you are planning on turning in your papers on January 7 as there may be a wait.
Appointments are available between 9a & 4p, Mon-Fri. WEC offices are closed on 12/24 & 25, and 12/31 & 1/1.
It's an even-numbered year, the weather is hot, and your mailbox is overflowing with political advertisements. You didn't sign up for this and you're wondering how they even got your address (read about that here). Since the 2010 Citizen's United v. Federal Election Commission ruling, campaign advertising has exploded. Some third-party mailpieces even include unsolicited election application forms and look like they are coming from an official source, which can raise suspicions and cast doubt on the election process (read about that here and here). We know that this deluge of mail can be frustrating, but please know that the Wisconsin Elections Commission and your local municipal clerk will only send you mail when it is absolutely necessary.
The Official Election Mail logo is reserved exclusively for governmental election offices to use on correspondence with citizens of the United States for the purpose of participating in the voting process. Election officials may not always include this logo, but if you see it, you know that it is election mail – not political mail. The logo helps voters and letter carriers alike distinguish this official communication from the torrent of mail sent by candidates, PACs, and other advocacy groups.
The logo can be used on any sort of mail that enables voter participation like registration and absentee applications, balloting materials, polling place notifications, and other important messages. It should only come from a unit of government that administrates elections.
The Wisconsin Elections Commission will only send you correspondence about your registration status or respond to requests that come from you.
These postcards are sent every even year prior to a General Election. The people who receive this postcard have been issued either a driver license or state ID card from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) that could not be matched to an active voter record in WisVote. The postcard asks the voter to register or check their registration status on myvote.wi.gov. The postcard also includes a toll-free number which routes them to the WEC Help Desk.
These mailings are not tracked in WisVote and will not result in any voters being deactivated.
People who receive the postcard may choose to register by mail, at their clerk’s office, at their polling place on Election Day, or on MyVote.wi.gov. The postcard can be used as proof of residence (POR) if the name and address on the postcard match the information on the registration form.
These postcards are sent out to anyone that registers to vote by mail, online at MyVote.wi.gov, or on Election Day. They are sent as an additional registration verification mechanism.
If the information on the postcard is correct, then no further action is necessary. Voters should contact their clerk if they notice any inaccurate information.
Postcards are mailed to Wisconsin residents who were identified as potentially moving in the previous quarter. Information from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, the National Change of Address database and other states is used to generate these mailings.
The postcards are mailed quarterly and can be identified by the “Have you moved?” header. The Postcard directs the voter to affirm their current address if it has not changed or reregister at their new address.
Voters who have not moved may affirm their current address by signing and returning the postcard, visiting MyVote.wi.gov, or voting in the next election where they can confirm with poll workers that their address has not changed. Voters who have moved may reregister by mail, at their clerk’s office, at their polling place on Election Day, or on MyVote.wi.gov.
The Wisconsin Elections Commission sends these out in the odd-numbered years to voters who have not voted in the previous four years. Voters who receive this postcard can sign and return it if they want to stay registered to vote. If the clerk does not receive the response by July 15 of an odd-numbered year, the voter’s registration will be deactivated. Voters can reregister (if they still meet Wisconsin's voting requirements) online, by mail, at your clerk's office, and at their polling place on Election Day.
People who receive the postcard and want to keep their voter record active can sign and return it by the July 15 deadline. They may also choose to reregister by mail, at their clerk’s office, or at their polling place on Election Day, or on MyVote.wi.gov.
Yes! When the SVDs visit, you can decline to vote your ballot and vote at an in-person absentee polling location before election day or at the polls on election day instead.
If you are registered to vote from the care facility (meaning you used the care facility address as your residence) AND that care facility is served by SVDs, your absentee ballot will be delivered by the SVD's or mailed to your mailing address if you are unable to vote during either SVD visit. Your family member is welcome to be in attendance when the SVDs visit and act as your assistant.
Rather than vote with the SVDs, you could vote at the polls on election day or vote absentee in-person at your municipal clerk's office or alternate site.
Alternatively, if you maintain a home outside of the care facility, you would be able to register to vote from that address and could apply to receive an absentee ballot with that registration.
