Wisconsin Voting Requirements & Information
U.S. Vote Foundation’s Wisconsin Voting Requirements and Information directory informs you of Wisconsin voting rules and options. It focuses on Wisconsin-specific voting guidelines and information for all voters, including domestic, overseas, and military voters. Here you can find out about Wisconsin voter eligibility, voter ID requirements, registration, absentee and early voting options, ways to transmit voting documents and links to specific-Wisconsin voting tools. It's an all-in-one Wisconsin voting resource.
General Information
Registration
You can register to vote or update your registration information:
- by mail
- in person at your elections office
- at the polls on Election Day
- at some public assistance offices and motor vehicle offices
- online
You must have resided in Wisconsin at least 28 days prior to the election in which you intend to vote.
Election Day Voting
Polling places are open from 7am to 8pm on Election Day.
Find my polling place
Early Voting
In-person absentee voting runs for two weeks before Election Day, ending on the Friday before the election. Please check with your municipal clerk for regular office hours.
Absentee Voting
Any registered voter may request an absentee ballot and vote by mail. You will need a witness to verify that you filled out your own ballot and to sign your absentee ballot return envelope. Your witness can be anyone 18 years or older. Absentee ballots may be returned by mail. The July 2022 Wisconsin Supreme Court ruling did not limit assistance in returning ballots by mail.
If you opt to return your absentee ballot in person to a drop box, please visit your local election office to place the ballot in the receptacle if available during regular office hours. You must be the one to return your own ballot in person. Drop boxes are now only available inside election offices.
Please visit the US Vote Disability Voting Guide to see accommodations for the registration and voting process.
Eligibility Requirements
You are eligible to vote in Wisconsin if you:
- Are a U.S. citizen
- Are a resident of Wisconsin
- Live in the precinct where you vote for at least 28 days prior to the election
- are 17 years of age and will be 18 by the next election
You are NOT eligible to vote in Wisconsin if:
- You have placed a bet or wager on the outcome of the election
- You are in prison or jail for a felony conviction
- You were disqualified from voting due to a court order
Restorative Requirements
- If you have completed a felony sentence, including any term of incarceration, parole, supervision, period of probation, or you have been pardoned, then you are immediately eligible to register to vote
You are able to pre-register:
- are 17 years of age and will be 18 by the next election
If you are a student, you are eligible to vote in Wisconsin if:
- You reside in Wisconsin but are attending college in another state
- You reside in another state but attend college in Wisconsin
- You provide a valid photo student ID from a college/university in Wisconsin at the polls
Your student ID card must include your name, signature, photo, and issue and expiration dates. The issue date cannot be more than two years from the expiration date.
Identification Requirements
Voter Registration
To register to vote in Wisconsin, you should provide a current and valid proof of residence including:
- Your Wisconsin Driver's License or State non-driver ID Number
If you do not have these IDs, you may provide other proof of residence that has your name and current address such as:
- Valid Student ID accompanied by tuition receipt
- Valid Student ID accompanied by on-campus housing listing that denotes US Citizenship
- Property Tax Bill or Receipt dated within the current year or within a year prior to the election date
- Utility Bill not older than 90 days
- Letter from a homeless organization verifying your residence location for purposes of voter registration
- Lease (exception: not valid for registration by mail)
- Valid Employee ID with photo
- Government Issued Document that shows your current name and address
- Valid Wisconsin issued ID
- Valid Wisconsin Driver's License except one issued to an individual that is not a United States citizen
- Bank Statement, Paycheck or Government Check
- Verification that you are a Resident of a Group Residential Facility
- Official Notice from the Social Security Administration identifying your Social Security Number
- Public Assistance ID
- Medicare or Medicaid Card issued by the government
- Hunting or Fishing ID
- Valid Tribal ID
- Proof of Wisconsin student loan and college tuition
- Valid Wisconsin Vehicle Registration
Contact your municipal clerk if you are unsure whether your proof of residence fits requirements https://myvote.wi.gov/en-us/My-Municipal-Clerk
Voting In-Person
In Wisconsin, you need to show id to vote. The following photo ids can be used even if they expired after the most recent general election (Nov., 3, 2020):
- Valid Wisconsin Driver's License
- Valid US Passport
- Valid ID Issued by the Wisconsin Department of Motor Vehicles, Transportation, Highway Safety, etc.
- Valid Tribal ID
- Valid Military ID
- Valid Student ID
Student IDs must be issued by a Wisconsin accredited university or college that contains date of issuance, signature of student, and an expiration date no later than two years after date of issuance. If expired, the student ID must be accompanied by a separate document that proves current enrollment.
If you do not have an ID from the above list, you must show an unexpired photo id from this list:
- Veteran's ID
- ID Issued by the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV)
- Driving Receipt Issued by DOT not more than 45 Days before Election
- Certificate of Naturalization Dated no earlier than two years prior to the Date of the Election
You may use an ID card receipt issued by Wisconsin DOT (valid for 45 days) or a temporary ID card from the Identification Petition Process (valid for 60 days). If you need help getting ID, go to www.voteriders.org.
- When applying for an absentee ballot, include a copy of your photo ID.
You will not need photo ID to vote absentee if you are in the military living permanently overseas or you are a confidential elector. If you are indefinitely confined or live in a nursing home/care facility, you can use a witness signature instead of providing ID when you apply for an absentee ballot.
Witness / Notarization Requirements
An absentee ballot must include ONLY ONE of the following in order to be counted:
- One Witness Signature
Voter Materials Transmission Options
Domestic Voter |
In-Person |
|
Fax |
|
Online |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Voter Registration | |||||
| Absentee Ballot Request | |||||
| Blank Ballot To Voter | |||||
| Voted-Absentee Ballot Return |
State Lookup Tools – Am I Registered?
State Elections Website
Can I View my Sample Ballot?
Where is my Polling Place?
Where is my Ballot?
Can I Register to Vote Online?
Am I Registered?
Overseas / Military Voter Information
State Voter Registration FAQ
Has my Ballot Been Counted?
Where is my Overseas or Military Ballot?
Eligibility Requirements
Overseas Voters
U.S. citizens living abroad have the right to vote as absentee voters, provided they are eligible to vote in their state. If you are living outside of the U.S. permanently, indefinitely, or temporarily, your voting rights stay with you, even if you never voted when you lived in the U.S. To vote from overseas:
- Complete and send an overseas voter registration/ballot request form to your election office in the U.S. This is one specific form that will register you as an overseas voter and request your absentee ballot – simultaneously.
Many states allow children who were born overseas, but never lived in the U.S., to use their U.S. parents’ last residence address to register.
Military Voters
Service members and their eligible family members living outside their voting jurisdiction (within or outside the U.S.) are able to vote as absentee voters.
- If you are a service member, or an eligible family member, there is a single form to file for both voter registration and ballot request. It is often called the “Federal Post Card Application” or the FPCA form. This form must be re-filed with your election office each time you change location.
To vote as a service member or eligible family member:
- Complete and send a voter registration/ballot request form “FPCA” to your election office in the U.S. It is the same form in all states.
Identification Requirements
Voting Overseas
U.S. citizens living overseas may register and request a ballot using the overseas voter registration/ballot request form. You will have the following identification options when completing the form:
- U.S. State or Territory or District Issued ID
- Option to Indicate that you do not have the Requested ID
- Last 4 Digits of your Social Security Number
- Your Wisconsin Driver's License Number
Attention Overseas Citizen Voters who are Temporarily Overseas: The Wisconsin Board of Elections states that Temporarily Overseas Voters must provide a copy of their Photo ID to their local election office in order to receive their overseas absentee ballot. Please be prepared to send a copy of a valid US photo ID, such as your US drivers license, or your US passport or other valid US photo identification to your local election office. You may send your ID together with your absentee ballot request submission, or separately to follow it. Per the My Vote WI definition: A temporarily overseas voter is a voter currently outside of the United States who intends to return, even if the return date is uncertain.
Voting Military
Service members and their dependents may register and request a ballot using the federal voter registration/ballot request form ("FPCA"). You will have the following identification options when completing the form:
- U.S. State or Territory or District Issued ID
- Option to Indicate that you do not have the Requested ID
- Last 4 Digits of your Social Security Number
- Your Wisconsin Driver's License Number
Your state does not require an ID to be provided in order to request your ballot.
Witness / Notarization Requirements
An overseas absentee ballot requires the following to be counted:
- Mark overseas ballot with witness
An overseas voter's witness does not need to be a U.S. Citizen.
A military absentee ballot requires the following to be counted:
- Mark overseas ballot with witness
An military voter's witness does not need to be a U.S. Citizen.
Voter Materials Transmission Options
Overseas Voter |
In-Person |
|
Fax |
|
Online |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Voter Registration | |||||
| Absentee Ballot Request | |||||
| Blank Ballot To Voter | |||||
| Voted-Absentee Ballot Return |
Military Voter |
In-Person |
|
Fax |
|
Online |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Voter Registration | |||||
| Absentee Ballot Request | |||||
| Blank Ballot To Voter | |||||
| Voted-Absentee Ballot Return |