Wisconsin voters can start casting ballots today for the November 6th election. In-person absentee voting is now underway in local clerks offices around the state. Reid Magney with the state Government Accountability Board says it allows those who don’t want to wait, or are unable to reach the polls on Election Day, to make sure their ballot is ready to go.
Those who wish to take advantage of the voting option will need to go to their local clerk’s office to request and fill out a ballot. The ballot will then be sealed and sent out to their polling place on Election Day to be counted with other votes.
Those living in large cities should have plenty of access to vote over the next two weeks. However, clerks in smaller municipalities and rural areas may have more limited hours. Magney says you should check for hours with your local clerk before heading out to vote.
In 2008, voters often had to wait in long lines at clerks’ offices to vote early. Magney says those lines could be even longer this year because the time frame for casting a ballot early is shorter than in the last presidential election. Instead of the three weeks voters had four years ago, there are only two weeks this year. In-person absentee voting runs through November 2nd.
If you are expecting long lines, Magney says you can save some time by making sure you are registered before heading out to vote. The GAB has launched a website to help with that process. Voter registration forms are also available online that can be printed out and taken to your local clerk or polling place.
AUDIO: Andrew Beckett reports (1:11)