Riley Vetterkind, @email
MADISON – Several key deadlines are rapidly approaching for eligible, registered Wisconsin voters seeking to cast an absentee ballot before the Nov. 5 General Election.
Starting on Tuesday, Oct. 22 – two weeks before Election Day – municipal 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 involves a voter both requesting and completing a ballot on the same trip to the clerk’s office or designated location. When a voter requests the in-person absentee ballot, they will complete it immediately in the clerk's office, seal it in the proper envelope, and return it to a member of the clerk's staff. No IPAV ballots may be taken out of the clerk's office. In-person absentee ballots are securely stored by the municipal clerk until Election Day, when they are then processed and tabulated.
Voters need to be registered and show an acceptable photo ID when voting by in-person absentee ballot. More information about acceptable photo IDs can be found at https://elections.wi.gov/photoid.
Municipalities may offer in-person absentee voting through Sunday, Nov. 3. Importantly, the times and locations of in-person absentee voting will differ from municipality to municipality, so voters will need to check with their municipal clerk as to IPAV opportunities available to them. Some smaller jurisdictions choose to offer IPAV by appointment only.
Voters may view IPAV availability by entering their voting address on the MyVote Wisconsin website at https://myvote.wi.gov/en-us/Vote-Absentee-In-Person
Meanwhile, Thursday, Oct. 31 is the last day for most voters to request an absentee ballot by mail, online, email, or fax for the Nov. 5 General Election. In practical terms, though, that results in an unrealistic timeframe for the voter to complete the ballot and return it to their clerk by Election Day.
Voters who still want to request an absentee ballot by mail should act immediately, said Wisconsin Elections Commission Meagan Wolfe, the state’s chief election official. Registered voters can make their requests online at https://myvote.wi.gov/.
“Voters who want to cast an absentee ballot by mail for the November General Election can still do so, but time is running out,” Wolfe said. “Absentee ballots must arrive by 8 p.m. on Election Day to be counted. Absentee voters should make a plan as soon as possible for requesting and returning their ballot to ensure it arrives on time.”
It may take up to a week for a voter’s absentee ballot to arrive from the clerk’s office, and up to a week to return it to the clerk by mail. Ballots can also be returned in person, and some municipalities may have set up a drop box to facilitate absentee ballot return, but voters should check with their municipality to see if that’s an option.
“Please do not wait for the legal deadline – which is 5 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 31 – for your clerk to receive your request for an absentee ballot by mail,” Wolfe said. “If you wait until the deadline, you risk not getting your ballot in time to vote it and return it by 8 p.m. on Election Day.”
As noted above, voters faced with tight deadlines for absentee voting by mail have the option of using the IPAV process between Oct. 22 and Nov. 3. 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.
Another option, of course, is voting at the polls on Election Day on Nov. 5. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. statewide.
Statistics on the number of absentee ballots requested and returned in Wisconsin can be found at https://elections.wi.gov/statistics-data/absentee-statistics
Here are some key deadlines and facts to remember for the upcoming General Election on November 5, 2024 – whether you’re voting by absentee ballot or in-person.
Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024: The recommended day by which voters should return their absentee ballots by mail. The U.S. Postal Service recommends allowing one week for your completed absentee ballot to be delivered to your municipal clerk’s office.
After this date, voters should find other options for returning their absentee ballot, which include delivering it to their municipal clerk’s office or a secure drop box if one is provided by their clerk. Talk to your clerk’s office to find out if your clerk offers a drop box. Voters should contact their municipal clerk about preferred absentee ballot return options in their municipality.
Thursday, Oct. 31, 2024: The legal deadline for most voters to request an absentee ballot by mail. It is unrealistic for any voter to wait this late to request an absentee ballot and expect to receive it in time to return it by Election Day to be counted.
Friday, Nov. 1, 2024: The legal deadline for calendar year requests and for indefinitely confined voters and military voters not on active duty away from their residence to request an absentee ballot.
Friday, Nov. 1, 2024: This date is also the final day to register to vote at your municipal clerk’s office. Visit https://myvote.wi.gov to find your local clerk’s contact information and hours of operation.
Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024: The last day municipal clerks may offer in-person absentee voting in their office or a satellite location. Most clerks only offer absentee voting in their office until Friday, Nov. 1, and office hours vary by municipality. Please visit https://myvote.wi.gov to find your municipal clerk office’s contact information and learn more about absentee voting in-person for the upcoming election.
Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024: Election Day. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., and voters who are returning an absentee ballot to their polling place must get it there by 8 p.m. Voters returning their ballot to the clerk’s office or a drop box should do so early in the day, so the clerk has enough time to send ballots to the proper location for counting by the 8 p.m. deadline.
There are dozens of municipalities 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.