Wisconsin Absentee Ballot Requests Surpass 500,000 For April 7

MADISON, WI – Wisconsin election officials say voters continue requesting absentee ballots at a record pace with concerns about the new coronavirus, COVID-19.

As of Tuesday morning, 554,116 absentee applications have been received by Wisconsin municipal clerks, compared to 482,740 on Monday and 134,556 the previous Monday one week earlier, according to election officials.

More than 520,000 absentee ballots have already been issued, mostly by mail. Election officials are also working to ensure local clerks have enough absentee envelopes to fill demand. The agency has ordered 1.2 million envelopes - 600,000 each of the inner and outer envelopes - which are scheduled for delivery mid-week. These will be express-shipped to county clerks, who will distribute them to municipal clerks who need them, officials said.

“We remain encouraged that so many voters are requesting absentee ballots already, especially through the MyVote Wisconsin website,” said Meagan Wolfe, Wisconsin’s chief elections official in a statement.

She urged anyone who wants to vote absentee for April 7 to act immediately.

“We want everyone who is eligible and who wants to vote to be able to do so safely,” she said. “Absentee voting will also greatly reduce crowds at polling places on Election Day, which will make social distancing much easier.”

Online Registration Returning Soon

Election officials report they are working as quickly as possible to reinstate online voter registration at MyVote Wisconsin following a federal court order late Friday requiring the WEC to reopen it until March 30, Wolfe said.

“We will reopen registration online as soon as we can make and test the changes to our systems,” Wolfe said. “This is not as simple as reposting an online form or flipping a switch. With the election underway, we need to be very careful to test this change to ensure it does not adversely affect other functions, including absentee ballot requests. We will update the public and local election officials as soon as we know when MyVote Wisconsin will be ready.”

Absentee Ballot Requests Pouring In

As of March 24, there were 554,116 absentee ballots requested by Wisconsin voters. By comparison, there were 819,316 absentee ballots cast in the November 2016 Presidential Election, officials said.

"The 2016 Spring Election and Presidential Preference Primary was a particularly high turnout election, due to both major political parties having competitive nomination races. In 2020, only one major party has a contested race for President on the ballot in Wisconsin," officials said.

How to Request an Absentee Ballot

There are several ways registered voters can request absentee ballots. If they have internet access, the easiest way is to sign up at MyVote Wisconsin, https://myvote.wi.gov.

Voters can also request absentee ballots by mailing, emailing or faxing their municipal clerk’s office. You can find your clerk’s contact information on MyVote Wisconsin. These requests must be accompanied by a copy of a photo ID

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. Voters in care facilities can have a representative of the facility confirm the resident's identity instead of providing a photo ID. More information on photo ID and exemptions can be found at bringit.wi.gov.

The deadline for registered voters to request an absentee ballot be mailed to you is the Thursday before the election, April 2.

THe absentee ballot must be received in the local clerk’s office or polling place by 8 p.m. on dlection day.