Here is everything you need to know about voting in-person or dropping off ballots ahead of the election tomorrow.
You can still register to vote day-of at the polls —you will need to bring proof of residence, which can be a bill, lease, valid Wisconsin’s driver’s license, a Wiscard accompanied by a fee statement for the current semester, or a Voter Enrollment Verification Letter from the University of Wisconsin which can be accessed in My UW, among other items. A full list of acceptable proof of residence items can be found on the vote.wisc.edu page.
Morgridge Center Voter Engagement and Civic Learning Coordinator Zachery Holder said a lot of UW students have already voted early, meaning wait times will hopefully be manageable. But Holder said to cut down on wait time, students should make sure they have everything they need to vote prepared.
“The hope is the turnout will continue to surpass numbers in previous elections which may mean lines,” Holder said. “Ensure you have communicated to those you have plans with on Election Day to help them understand your commitment to this election.”
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You can check your polling place at myvote.wi.gov.
When voting, students need to bring a photo ID to the polls, Holder said. This can be a Wisconsin driver’s license, Wisconsin state ID, U.S. passport, U.S. Uniformed Services card, Veterans Affairs ID, tribal ID or Certificate of Naturalization.
Holder said Wiscards do not count as a valid photo ID to vote with.
“The address on your ID does not matter. The purpose of presenting your ID at the polls is to prove your identity,” Holder said. “Students without one of the forms of ID listed above can obtain a UW–Madison voter-compliant ID card by visiting voterid.wisc.edu. [Students] are encouraged to print and sign this form from home but if they are unable to all campus voting locations and Hillel will have print stations available.”
Holder said absentee ballots need to be dropped off in a ballot box or turned into the Madison City Clerk’s office because ballots sent by mail will not make it by election day. Absentee ballots need to be returned to their locality, so ballots issued from districts outside of Madison cannot be turned into the Madison clerk’s office.
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You should check the exact rules for the state you are registered to vote in to see if ballots can be accepted after election day or not. If your ballot won’t make it in time, students can discard their ballot and register to vote in Madison in-person tomorrow, Holder said.
If you have been experiencing COVID-19 symptoms but haven’t been asked to quarantine, Holder said you can ask to have a ballot brought to you at a curbside. If you are currently isolating, you can designate someone to vote for you — email [email protected] for more information on how to do this, Holder said.
“This election, you’ll be more successful if you have a plan to vote,” Holder said. “You need to be patient, verify you have everything you need, take safety precautions and check in to ensure the other people in your life are voting.”
