Wauwatosa Voters Encouraged To Vote Absentee For April 7 Election

Press Release From the City of Wauwatosa:

03/15/2020

Voters in Wauwatosa are strongly urged to act now to vote absentee for the April 7 Spring Election and Presidential Preference Primary.

If interested in voting absentee, voters should request an absentee ballot as soon as possible.

Acting by Wednesday, March 18, is especially important for anyone who needs to register to vote by mail. If your name or address has changed since the last election, you need to register with your current information. You can check your registration status at https://myvote.wi.gov, click on “My Voter Info.”

If you know you are registered but cannot find yourself on the website, you should contact our City Clerk's office at (414) 479-8917 or call the Wisconsin Elections Commission at 866-VOTE-WIS (866-868-3947) or 608-261-8005.

How to Register to Vote by the Deadline

Wednesday, March 18 is the deadline for electors to register to vote by mail or online for the Presidential Preference Primary and Spring Election. After this date, electors must register in person at the city clerk's office or at the polling place on Election Day.

According to state law, mailed voter registration forms must be postmarked no later than the third Wednesday before the election (March 18, 2020). Online registration closes at 11:59 p.m. the same day.

Online voter registration is available at https://myvote.wi.gov. There are two ways you can register using the website:

• People with a Wisconsin driver license or state ID card whose address is current with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation can complete their online registration immediately. People who need to update their address with DOT can accomplish that online and complete their online registration.
• People without a Wisconsin driver license or state ID card can fill out the voter registration form online, then print it, sign it and mail it to their municipal clerk’s office along with a proof-of residence document. The website has detailed instructions. If you do not have a printer where you are, you can save the completed form as a PDF and make arrangements to have a family member or a friend with a printer, or a copy center, to print it for you.

Download a voter registration form in English or Spanish. Blank voter registration forms are also available at the clerk’s office, 7725 W. North Avenue during our regular business hours Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Remember, the deadline to register online or by mail is Wednesday, March 18.

Voters who miss the deadline may also register in their municipal clerk’s office until the Friday before the election, April 3 or at the polls on election day.

How to Request an Absentee Ballot

There are several ways registered voters can request absentee ballots:

1) MyVote Wisconsin

If they have internet access, the easiest way is to sign up at MyVote Wisconsin, https://myvote.wi.gov. Look for the “Vote Absentee” button near the top of the page. On a mobile phone, use the menu button in the upper right corner of the website. There is a three-step process that starts with putting in your name and date of birth, followed by requesting your ballot. If you don’t already have a valid photo ID on file with our clerk’s office, you can upload a copy. Absentee ballot requests submitted to MyVote Wisconsin go directly to our clerk’s office, and you can track your ballot by returning to the website.

2) City Clerk's Office

Voters can also request absentee ballots by mailing, emailing or faxing our city clerk’s office. These requests must be accompanied by a valid photo ID. If you already have a photo ID on file from previous absentee requests under your current registration, you will not need to provide it again.

3) Permanent absentee voters

Voters who are indefinitely confined, meaning they may have difficulty getting to the polls for reason of age, illness, infirmity, or disability are not required to provide a photo ID. Visit www.myvote.wi.gov, or submit the EL-121 Absentee Ballot Request Form to the City Clerk's office, 7725 W. North Ave., Wauwatosa, WI 53213. Witness signatures on the absentee ballot envelope may be used to satisfy the photo ID requirement.

Deadline to request absentee ballot

The deadline for registered voters to request an absentee ballot be mailed to you is the Thursday before the election, April 2. However, the Wauwatosa Clerk’s office urges voters not to wait, due to possible delays in mail delivery. If you get an absentee ballot mailed to you, you can still decide to vote at the polls on Election Day if you haven’t returned it.

Your absentee ballot must be received in your clerk’s office or at your polling place by 8 p.m. on Election Day. Again, the Wauwatosa Clerk’s office urges voters to request and return ballots as soon as possible.

This press release was produced by the City of Wauwatosa. The views expressed here are the author’s own.