It might help shorten lines at some polling places on Election Day — Government Accountability Board Director Kevin Kennedy says statewide, approximately 250,000 absentee ballots had been cast as of Thursday afternoon. "Ideally, the absentee ballot increase will shorten the lines," Kennedy says. "The estimate for turnout is 3.2 million voters."
Kennedy says between eleven and twelve percent of eligible voters cast absentee ballots in 2004. If you can't do that this year, he has some advice on the best times to vote on Tuesday. "Try to vote after 8:30 and before 4:30. That would be your ideal time to get into the polling place."
Kennedy says there are now 3.5 million voters in the statewide registration system, and he expects about seventy percent of Wisconsin's voting age population will head to the polls on Election Day. Despite the best efforts of state and local officials, Kennedy says wait times of up to an hour are likely at many locations.
