Absolutely not. In 2010, many Wisconsin clerks started using a new combined application/certificate for absentee ballots cast in their offices. They did this to reduce paperwork in response to more and more voters casting absentee ballots in the clerk’s office.
Prior to 2010, people voting absentee in the clerk’s office had to fill out a paper form requesting a ballot, then had to fill out the certificate on the envelope. This created extra paperwork and was time consuming. Municipal clerks asked for help, so the Government Accountability Board did a statewide study of the issue and produced a report on early voting: https://elections.wi.gov/publications/reports/early-voting. One of the recommendations that came out of the report was simplifying the in-person absentee voting process by combining the application and certificate. Board staff then worked with local election officials to implement changes that would streamline the paperwork required during in-person absentee voting.
The solution was to add several components to the existing certificate resulting in a combination Absentee Ballot Application/Absentee Ballot Certificate. The title of the certificate was changed to indicate that it also serves as an application for in-person absentee voters. A line was added (“I further certify that I requested this ballot.”) to make the document an application. A person voting in-person simply completes the voter information and sign the certification. The elector votes the ballot, seals the ballot in the envelope, and the municipal clerk or clerk staff signs as witness and provides his or her address. All in-person absentee voters are also required to provide their photo ID before receiving a ballot.
It is false to claim that there are no applications on file for these absentee ballots.