Wisconsin uses technology, highly-trained people, and practical safeguards to protect local election integrity and ensure that every valid ballot that is cast is counted accurately — including absentee ballots.
Download the Wisconsin Election Security & Accuracy Fact Sheet - PDF
In Wisconsin, valid absentee votes are always counted, no matter how tight the race may be. They are also counted on Election Day, usually on the same equipment used by polling place voters. But that’s not all. Other security measures include:
- To vote at the polls or by absentee ballot, eligible citizens must register to vote.
- A powerful statewide database verifies voter information, tracks how ballots are cast, and ensures only one vote per voter is counted.
- Voter information is regularly updated, allowing election officials to prevent ineligible voters from participating at the polls or by absentee ballot.
- Wisconsin creates a paper record of every vote that is cast, no matter what kind of ballot or equipment voters use.
- There is a transparent chain of custody for every voting device in Wisconsin, including polling place and absentee ballots, which are always securely stored and transported.
- Any member of the public can observe the election process, from voting equipment testing to the counting of the ballots at the polling place.
- Vote totals are triple-checked. In Wisconsin, election results aren’t official until they have been checked at the municipal level, double-checked by the county, and certified by the bipartisan Wisconsin Elections Commission.
- People who may have voted illegally are identified and referred to law enforcement, thanks to statewide fraud audits conducted after every election.
