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Wisconsin
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You’ve chosen to vote in WISCONSIN!

You’ve chosen to vote in WISCONSIN!

⓪ What you will need

① Get registered

② Request your vote-by-mail ballot

③ What happens next?

More information

FAQ and troubleshooting for Wisconsin issues

Where should I have my vote-by-mail ballot sent?

I don't have a WI State ID/Driver’s License or a SSN

What if the name or address on my Wisconsin ID is incorrect/out of date?

I’ve changed my name since registering to vote

I need to print/mail a paper form but do not have access to a printer

About this page and this project

⓪ What you will need

① Get registered

Check online if you are already registered. If you aren't registered already, it will offer you an opportunity to register. If your home address or name has changed, re-register by following the regular registration process below. >>>What if I'm registered somewhere else?<<<

Register online at the state voter registration page (or if you can't due to not having a WI Driver's License/State ID see register by mail below). You will need to upload an image of your Wisconsin Driver's License or State ID showing the address you’re registering to vote at - if the name/address on your ID is out of date, you will be directed to file by mail (see below).

Register by mail (only if you can’t register online) by completing a Voter Registration Application and printing and mailing it to your local elections authority together in the same envelope with your vote-by-mail ballot request in Section ②.

Signatures, beware! The signature on your vote-by-mail ballot request (and on your voted ballot) will be compared to your registration signature or your WI State ID/Driver’s License.  Make them match. Signing with a mouse may cause a problem, so it may be better to sign on paper & mail. Don’t have a printer?

Deadlines. Register and request your vote-by-mail ballot as soon as possible; things take time. Here are the registration deadlines, and the vote-by-mail deadlines.

Common Issues:

② Request your vote-by-mail ballot

Prefer to vote in-person? That may be a problem this year, and we recommend requesting a vote-by-mail ballot even if you want to vote in-person. You can take your vote-by-mail ballot to your polling place (during early voting or on election day) where they will void it and let you vote in-person or let you submit your mail ballot on the spot (note that many states require you to show valid photo ID when voting in person!). Also, if you don't receive your vote-by-mail ballot in time, you can still go to the polls in-person.

How to request an absentee ballot:

Mailing address - send my ballot where?  Given the uncertainty of where you may be living due to COVID, don't have your vote-by-mail ballot sent to your campus housing address. If it arrives there and the residence hall is closed, nobody will be able to retrieve it. Instead, send to yourself at the address of a friend or relative with a stable address. They can mail it to you wherever you are. However ballots can't be "forwarded"; they have to be re-mailed in an outer envelope with new stamps.

Request online: Once you get registered, use Wisconsin's MyVote absentee voting page to search the voter registration rolls again for your name & birthdate. Now you can request where your vote-by-mail ballot should be sent.

Request by mail (only if you can’t submit a request online):

  1. Print neatly on the Application for Absentee Ballot in black or blue pen (including your signature, matching your registration signature)
  2. Mail the completed application (along with your voter registration application from Section ①, if necessary) to the address provided at the bottom of the application (or look up the address of your election authority here)

What happens next?

More information

FAQ and troubleshooting for Wisconsin issues

 (See also the general FAQ for non-state specific questions)

Where should I have my vote-by-mail ballot sent?

Given the uncertainty of where you may be living due to COVID, instead of having your vote-by-mail ballot sent to your campus address you may want to have it sent to a friend or relative's home. They can get it to you wherever you are. Ballots can't be "forwarded"; they have to be re-mailed in an outer envelope.

I don't have a WI State ID/Driver’s License or a SSN

If you do not have a WI State ID/Driver’s License, you can register or submit a vote by mail application using your SSN. It doesn't work as smoothly, so don't do this unless you have to.

If you do not have either a WI state-issued ID or a SSN, you must submit a copy of an alternative form of identification/proof of residence document that shows your name and home address along with your voter registration application as well as your mail ballot.

What if the name or address on my Wisconsin ID is incorrect/out of date?

The name or address on your ID doesn’t have to be current, however, you must provide an up-to-date home and mailing address as well as proof of residence/ID documentation that matches what you provide in your registration information. See the FAQ above for an approved list of alternative ID/proof of residence documents.

I’ve changed my name since registering to vote

If your name is incorrect or you have changed your name you must update/re-register to vote following the steps in Section ① of this document.

I need to print/mail a paper form but do not have access to a printer

Not a problem! Please email us at vote@colum.edu with all the documents and/or proof of residence and identification requirements you need printed and we'll print them and send them to you.

Who can be a witness?

A witness can be anyone who knows you over the age of 18; all they need to do is sign in the appropriate location and provide any other requested information, such as their home address. Note that failure to provide all requested information from a witness could lead to ballot rejection!

About this page and this project