General Election Sample Ballots
Sample paper and optical scan ballots for the November 3, 2020 General Election have been approved by the Commission and are now available on the WEC website. The ballot series for general elections is EL-203 and these ballots are a return to more familiar territory following the unique August Partisan Primary ballots. As always, a quick reminder that voters must vote for individual candidates for all contests in which they wish to cast a vote as there is no straight-ticket voting in Wisconsin.
| Hand-County Paper Ballots | Optical Scan Ballots (Oval and Arrow) |
|---|---|
| General election ballot: EL-203 | General election ballot: EL-203ms |
| Federal-only ballot: EL-203F | Federal-only ballot: EL-203Fms |
| Presidential-only ballot: EL-207* | Presidential-only ballot: EL-207/EL-207ms* |
| Referendum ballot (if required): EL-228 | |
| Reverse for all paper ballots: EL-229 |
*Optical scan municipalities may choose to use hand-count paper ballots for Presidential-only voters
Presidential-Only Ballots
During Presidential elections, a unique type of ballot is available for new residents of Wisconsin who are unable to meet the residency requirement in Wisconsin or former residents of Wisconsin who are unable to meet similar requirements in their new state of residence. In either case, both detailed further below, the voter may vote a Presidential Only Ballot (EL-207).
New Wisconsin Residents
These are voters who move to Wisconsin at such a time that they are unable to meet the 28-day residency requirement to register and vote a full ballot. These voters, if otherwise qualified, may still vote for the office of President.
To vote for President, the voter must:
- Complete an Application for Presidential Ballot – New Wisconsin Resident (EL-141).
- Provide proof of residence and proof of identification.
- Complete an Authorization to Cancel Registration (EL-139), which is sent to the State Elections Office in the state of the voter’s previous residence.
These voters may apply for and vote a Presidential Only Ballot either at the polling place on Election Day or via in-person absentee voting at the clerk’s office. If the new resident votes in the clerk’s office, the clerk will record the voter’s name and “President Only” on the absentee ballot log. Accordingly, the EL-141 will be entered into WisVote using the application type “presidential only.”
If a new resident votes at the polling place on Election Day, the election inspectors will record the voter’s name and the “President Only” notation on the supplemental poll list. Please ensure that your polling places have a sufficient number of ballots and forms.
Important: new residents voting on a Presidential Only Ballot are not registering, as they have not met the residency requirement to do so.
Former Wisconsin Residents These are former residents of Wisconsin who is unable to meet the eligibility requirements to register in their new state of residence. These voters are eligible to request and vote an absentee Presidential Only Ballot. To do so, the former resident must:
- Complete an Application for Presidential Ballot – Former Wisconsin Resident (EL-140).
- Provide proof of identification.
There is no firm deadline for a former resident to request a Presidential-Only ballot (EL-207), except that the application must be received by the municipal clerk before Election Day. Clerks will record on the absentee ballot log that the voter was sent a Presidential Only Ballot and enter the application into WisVote using the application type “presidential only.”
The EL-140 and EL-141 include instructions for use.
If you have questions, please contact the Elections Help Desk at 608-261-2028 or by email at @email.