Wisconsin Elections Commission answers your last-minute voting questions

Deadline to register in-person is this Friday

November 2, 2018 5:18 PM

Christina Lorey,

Posted: November 2, 2018 5:18 PM

Updated: August 31, 2021 12:26 PM

by Christina Lorey

MADISON, Wis. — With the midterms quickly approaching, the Wisconsin Elections Commission has been flooded with last-minute questions from voters. Officials say the most commonly-asked questions over the past few weeks have been, “How do I register to vote?” and “Do I have to be registered ahead of Election Day?”

Friday, Nov. 2 is your last chance to register to vote in person ahead of Election Day. Although you can still register to vote Nov. 6 at your polling place, if you want to avoid the lines, head to your municipal clerk’s office anytime before 5 p.m. Friday. Regardless of when you register, all voters will need to bring certain forms of identification with them.

“Whatever way you choose to register to vote, you’re going to need to bring with you a proof of residence document,” said Meagan Wolfe from the Wisconsin Elections Commission. “This is something that shows your current name and current address. It could be a bank statement or it could be your current driver’s license or photo ID if it has your address on it.”

You can find your municipal clerk’s office here, if you’re hoping to get registered by Nov. 2.

It’s not only important to know where and when to cast your ballot, but who can participate in the midterm elections; it’s not just people 18 years and older who can vote this year.

In Wisconsin, people who’ve been convicted of a felony are ineligible to vote while in prison, on parole, or on probation. Voting rights, however, are automatically restored upon completion.

Ex-offenders will need to re-register to vote.

Also, people experiencing homelessness can register to vote in all 50 states. The Wisconsin Elections Commission recommends homeless voters list a shelter address where they can receive mail as their voting address.

“At the state of Wisconsin, our role is to make sure voters statewide have access to the information they need, like finding their polling place, checking their registration status, and looking at a sample ballot,” said Wolfe.

You can do all of those steps through the state’s myvote.wi.gov website here . That’s the official source of voter information for people living in Wisconsin.

Registration is handled by each of the cities, towns, and villages in Wisconsin individually, so the state’s Elections Commission said that while some are expecting a rush of people Friday on the last day of in-person registration, others have seen people registering for the past few months, so they are not expecting a last-minute influx.

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