MILWAUKEE — Wisconsin voters can begin casting their ballots Tuesday, October 20, as in-person absentee voting gets underway across the state, exactly two weeks before the November 3 general election.
Early in-person absentee voting runs from October 20 through November 1, although voting hours and locations vary by municipality.
Voters must cast their ballots at an early voting location designated by the city, town or village where they live. They cannot vote early in a different municipality.
In Milwaukee, the city is offering 11 early voting locations.
Voters are required to present an acceptable photo ID, such as a Wisconsin driver’s license, state-issued identification card, U.S. passport or certain military, tribal or college IDs.
Residents who still need to register to vote can do so at designated early voting locations through Friday, October 30. Registration will not be available during the weekend before Election Day. Otherwise voters can register at their polling place on Election Day.
Absentee Voting Statistics
As of Monday, 173,164 absentee ballots have been returned statewide out of 364,888 amount requested, according to Wisconsin Elections Commission’s absentee statistics. That’s far fewer than the same time four years ago during the 2022 General Election when over 195,287 absentee ballots were returned and 438,673 absentee ballots requested statewide.
“Although voter behaviors are difficult to forecast, the data so far indicates that local clerks should prepare for higher turnout during in-person absentee voting,” said WEC Administrator Meagan Wolfe said.
Preparations for November
State election officials say they are prepared for a busy election, with more than 2.6 million voters expected to participate statewide.
The Wisconsin Elections Commission says more than 30,000 poll workers will staff over 3,600 polling places across the state on Election Day.
“We collectively follow strict chain-of-custody procedures to ensure every legal vote is counted correctly, whether you cast a ballot at the polls or by absentee ballot,” said Wolfe.
Voters can find their early voting locations, check their registration status, view a sample ballot and get additional election information at MyVote.wi.gov.
Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, with polling places open from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m.
