Manuals Supplement

On Wednesday, September 11, 2024, the Wisconsin Elections Commission (“the Commission”) approved the attached memorandum as a supplement to the Election Day and Election Administration manuals. The memo is intended to supplement the manuals, and contains pages impacted. The manual text will be updated after the General Election, but clerks should familiarize themselves with the contents of this memo as the guidance within it is intended to have the same effect as the guidance in the manuals.

The supplement provides clarity in three areas: 

1. Military voters are absentee voters – This revision updates various sections in the manuals that discuss military voters to clarify that military voters must be voting absentee in order to be exempt from registration and providing proof of residence. If a military voter wishes to vote in person on election day, he or she must register to vote and provide proof of residence just like any other voter. Military voters are still exempt from registering and providing proof of registering if casting a ballot during in person absentee voting. 
2. No in person return of absentee applications prior to 14 days before an election – Existing Commission guidance has clarified that if an elector makes an in-person absentee application request, or attempts toe in-person delivery of a request, more than 14 days prior to an election, the clerk should direct that the application be mailed, emailed, faxed, or requested by email using the MyVote Wisconsin website. 
3. Federal destruction date of election notices – This revision confirms that clerks should retain election notices and proofs of publication for 22 months.

If you have any questions, please contact the Commission at 608-266-8005 or @email.