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Voting Information

Voting Information

2025 ELECTIONS IN WISCONSIN

Elections are always on Tuesday

February 18 - Spring Primary Election
On the ballot: Any race with more than two candidates for the nonpartisan races on the Spring Election ballot.

April 1 - Spring Election
On the ballot:

Schools:
Superintendent of Public Instruction
School Board
Courts:
Supreme Court Justice
Appeals Court Judge
Circuit Court Judge
Municipal Judge
County:
County Executive
County Board Supervisor (for some one-year terms)
Municipal:
Mayor / President / Chair
Alder / Trustee / Supervisor
Referendums

Información de votación en Español. Hmong. Outreach flyer in English and in Hmong.

The following topics are covered:

Still need help finding the voting information you need?

  • Call the Voter Helpline 608.285.2141.

  • Send an email by clicking the Helpline button at the bottom right of the screen.

The next election in Wisconsin is the Spring Primary on February 18, 2025. Polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m.

Voters must be registered to vote (see VOTER REGISTRATION, below). You may register to vote at your polling place on Election Day.

Voters who move within 28 days before the election must vote at the poll from their previous address (in person or by requesting an absentee ballot).

Voters must present a voter photo ID. Be sure you have an eligible ID!  More on Voter Photo ID. 

Voters who do not present acceptable voter photo ID may ask to cast a provisional ballot. The ballot will be counted only if the voter presents the required ID to the municipal clerk by 4 p.m. on the Friday after the election.

Voters must sign or make their mark on the poll book to obtain a ballot before voting. Voters who are unable to sign the poll book because of a disability are exempt from this requirement.

Voters using a traditional ballot must use a black or blue ballpoint pen to fill in ovals next to their chosen candidates. Voters using the ExpressVote or AutoMARK machine make their choices on a touchscreen or using a headset and braille keypad or sip-and-puff device. Their choices are printed on their ballot card, which can be reviewed for accuracy. When finished, voters feed their hand-marked or machine-marked ballot into the slot in the tabulating machine. Wait for the machine screen to display, “Thank you for voting.” See a demonstration video here. In Dane County, all ballot-marking machines and tabulators have instructions in English and Spanish.

You may vote by in-person absentee ballot for up to two weeks before the election. Each municipal clerk determines when and where they will allow this “early voting.” Some have extended hours for voting. If a municipality offers in-person absentee voting at alternative locations, the actual clerk’s office is prohibited from offering absentee voting, accepting registrations, or absentee ballots.

Absentee ballots are mailed three weeks before the election, on January 28, 2025.

Request a mailed absentee ballot from your city, town, or village clerk in writing by mail, fax, or email, or online at MyVote.wi.gov. The request must be received no later than 5 p.m. on the Thursday before the election (February 14, 2025, for the spring primary election). However, the postal service warns that it can take 7 days for your ballot to be mailed to you, and another 7 days for it to be returned to the clerk’s office by mail. Your request must include:

  • Your name.

  • The address where you are registered to vote.

  • The address where the ballot should be sent.

  • Your signature.

  • A photocopy of an acceptable voter photo ID (see VOTER PHOTO ID) if one is not already on file with your municipal clerk.

Registered voters may request an absentee ballot online at MyVote.wi.gov. You will be required to upload a copy of your voter photo ID if one is not already on file with your municipal clerk. Madison residents may also request an absentee ballot using this form. For any other municipality in Wisconsin use this form.

Elderly or disabled voters may request a permanent absentee ballot without providing a voter photo ID. Anyone who is restricting their contacts and is concerned about voting in person because they are over 60, have an underlying health condition, or are disabled, can request a permanent absentee ballot. This request does not require a copy of your voter photo ID. Those who have requested to be on the permanent absentee ballot list may be dropped from the absentee ballot rolls if they do not vote in each election, or if they vote in person. Madison residents may request a permanent absentee ballot using this form; residents of other municipalities should use this form.

Upon receiving the absentee ballot (Watch a video from the City of Madison Clerk)

  • In the presence of a witness, mark the ballot and seal it in the certificate envelope.

  • Sign the certificate envelope in the presence of the witness.

  • Have the witness sign the envelope and print their name and address.

  • Return the completed ballot in time to reach your polling place by 8 p.m. Election Day.
    The U.S. Postal Service recommends 7-10 days for delivery by mail.     Voters should “mail it back Monday”—no later than February 11, to be sure your ballot is counted.
    Other options may include returning it to your municial clerk’s office, a ballot drop box if your municipality has them, to an in-person absentee voting site in the two weeks before Election Day, or to your polling place on Election Day. You may only return your own ballot, or the ballot of a voter who determines they have a disability that prevents them from delivering it personally. Your employer or your union representative may not return your absentee ballot for you.

  • An agent may be legally designated for hospitalized voters (see below) or residents of care facilities. Contact the Disability Rights Wisconsin Voter Hotline (844-347-8683) for additional help.

If you fail to follow the directions about signature and witness, or if the ballot is not delivered by Election Day, the ballot is not valid and cannot be counted.

Who can vote?

  • You must be a United States citizen, age 18 or older by Election Day, and have lived at your current address for at least 28 days before the election. If you move within 28 days of an election, you must vote (absentee or in person) using your previous address.

  • You must be registered to vote (see VOTER REGISTRATION, below).

  • A person convicted of a felony may vote if they have completed their sentence, including probation, parole, or extended supervision by the Department of Corrections (also called being “off paper”).

  • You must have a valid voter photo ID to vote at your polling place and to obtain some absentee ballots (see VOTER PHOTO ID).

What if you don’t have voter ID?

  • If you are eligible to vote but do not have a valid voter photo ID, you may obtain a free Wisconsin ID card for voting (see VOTER PHOTO ID).

  • If you do not bring acceptable voter photo ID to your polling place, you may ask to cast a provisional ballot. The ballot will be counted only if you present the required ID to the municipal clerk by 4 p.m. on the Friday after the election.

Where do you vote?

  • Your polling place is determined by the municipality of your permanent residence. For example, your mailing address may be Madison, but your municipality may be the Town of Dunn.

  • Find your polling place on MyVote.wi.gov (also available in Spanish), check your municipal clerk’s website, or call your municipal clerk. Polling places may change unexpectedly.

  • Students may vote from their family home address if that is their permanent residence, or from their school residence. See VOTING ABSENTEE BY MAIL if away during an election.

  • If you have lived at your current residence for less than 28 days, vote using your old address.

What if you can’t get to the polling place on Election Day? (See VOTING ABSENTEE IN PERSON and VOTING ABSENTEE BY MAIL)

  • You do not need a reason for absentee voting.

  • Request a mailed absentee ballot from your city, town, or village clerk in writing by mail, fax, or email, or through MyVote.wi.gov if you qualify.

  • Elderly and disabled individuals can request a permanent absentee ballot.

  • You may vote absentee in person before election day.

What if you are in the hospital?

Under current Wisconsin law (6.86(3)), a hospitalized elector can assign an agent to serve as the carrier of application and ballot materials between the hospitalized elector and the municipal clerk’s office. The statutes allow the hospitalized elector provisions to be used in the week before an election and on election day. The hospitalized elector can use ​MyVote.wi.gov​ ​to complete their absentee ballot request or use one of the forms that can be accessed ​below​. If those options do not work for the voter, they can write a letter that includes the information requested on those forms. Unless already on file, a copy of the voter's photo ID must be included. (see​ ​Voter Photo ID​). If the voter qualifies as Indefinitely Confined, the photo ID requirement can be waived.

If a voter is not registered at their current address the agent can also bring a completed registration form and proof of residence document to the clerk when picking up the ballot. The ​form​ is available at the Wisconsin Elections Commission (WEC) website​ ​or from the local clerk.

Completed ballots must be returned to the local clerk's office before 8 p.m. on Election Day. Easy-to-follow procedures for the hospitalized elector process can be found on the WEC website.

At their March 2020 meeting, the WEC agreed to allow voters who were quarantined in their homes due to COVID-19 to use the hospitalized elector process following ​health guidelines​.

If you know you will be in the hospital, request a regular absentee ballot in advance or vote absentee in person before going to the hospital.

What if you need a ride to the polls?

If you live in Madison or an adjacent community you may ask Union Cab (608.242.2000) for a free ride, but you should contact them as early as possible on Election Day to schedule. They will drive you only from your home to the polls and back to your home. Rides are unlikely to be available after 6 p.m.

Do write-in votes count?

If there are no candidates on the ballot for an office, or if one of the candidates on the ballot for an office has died, all write-in votes for that office are counted. If there is a candidate on the ballot for an office, then only votes for registered write-in candidates for that office are counted. Write-in candidates register by filing a campaign registration statement by the Friday before the election. Election workers will provide the list of registered write-ins to voters who request one.

What if a candidate dies or withdraws?

Candidates who die or withdraw from campaigning after they have qualified for the ballot remain on the ballot. The procedure for filling the vacancy if that candidate wins depends on the specific office, and is determined by Chapter 17 of Wisconsin Statutes.

Watch a video about voter registration for the deaf and hard of hearing. The video, created by the Wisconsin Disability Vote Coalition, has voiceover.

Voters must be registered at their current address, with their current name. If you have moved or changed your name since you last registered or voted, you must update your registration with current information.

How do you register to vote?

If it is more than 20 days before an election, registration is open; you may register to vote:

  • online at MyVote.wi.gov. Online voter registration (OVR) is available only if you have a WI Driver License or ID card. You will need to have the same name and address on file with the DMV and the Wisconsin Elections Commission. You can update your address with the DMV online and then update your address on your voter registration online. Name changes must be made in person at the DMV, but you can then update your name on your voter registration online.

  • by completing a registration form at MyVote.wi.gov, printing it, signing it, and mailing it with a copy of your proof of residence to your municipal clerk.

  • at any Madison Public Library or City of Madison office (Madison residents only). You must show proof of residence.

  • at your municipal clerk’s office. You must show proof of residence.

Starting 20 days before an election (from closing time on January 29, 2025, for the spring primary), registration is closed. You can only register in person in your city, town, or village clerk’s office (or other in-person absentee voting location), or at your polling place on Election Day. Please contact your local clerk before visiting their office, as the COVID-19 pandemic may have altered usual practice.

  • Once ballots have been printed, if you register at your clerk’s office or other in-person absentee voting location, you may be able to vote at the same time. Check with your municipal clerk.

From 5 p.m. on the Friday before an election (February 14, 2025, for the spring primary) until Election Day, you may not register to vote, even at a location offering in-person absentee voting.

You may register at your polling place on Election Day.

The paper or electronic document you use as proof of residence to register to vote must include your name and current home address.

  • A current and valid WI driver license or WI photo ID card.

  • Any other official identification card or license issued by a Wisconsin governmental body or unit.

  • A real estate tax bill or receipt for the current year or the year preceding the date of the election.

  • A utility bill for the period commencing not earlier than 90 days before registering.

  • A bank or credit union statement.

  • A paycheck or pay stub.

  • A check or other document issued by any government agency or public school.

  • Voters experiencing homelessness can prove their voting address with an affidavit from a social service agency. The Wisconsin Elections Commission provides sample letters here.

  • A residential lease valid on date of registration (not valid if registering by mail).

  • A university or college ID card if accompanied by a fee statement for the current semester.

A government document used as electronic proof of residence for UW–Madison students is at go.wisc.edu/verify. When the student logs in, the registrar provides a document that displays the student's address and can be used as proof of residence for voting. Students may add or update their mailing address in their Student Center without changing their home address to ensure their current residential address displays in this document. More information is available from UW–Madison.

Many Dane County residents could use their public library account as electronic proof of residence. Additional examples of electronic proof of residence are available on the City of Madison Clerk’s website.