How to Absentee Vote in Milwaukee, Wisconsin

The Squeaky Curd has never been a place for politics. We think Milwaukee is a city full of people with varying opinions, but all with good intentions for our future. We’re not Chicago.

That being said, we fully support the idea that an informed and engaged public is critical to keep our city, state, and nation progressing: voting is key to this process.

This spring, admittedly for Eurotrip-related reasons, we’ll be unable to vote in person during the upcoming local and national elections. As our lives become increasingly busy, absentee voting is an attractive alternative to waiting in line on one particular day.

Here’s how to vote absentee in Milwaukee, WI (updated March 2016):

1. Ensure you have a valid photo ID

Bring It to the Ballot initiative logo. Screenshot from www.BringIt.WI.gov.

You’re required in Wisconsin to show a valid state-issued photo ID when voting, whether absentee or in person. Check the link above to find out how to acquire one if you don’t already have a driver’s license or similar ID.

2. Go to My Vote Wisconsin to determine your voting status

Screenshot from www.MyVote.WI.gov.

On the My Vote Wisconsin website you can determine if you’re properly registered to vote, and where.

3. Voting Absentee in-person at your County Clerk’s Office

Search your name and birthday to find your voting status.

Once you’ve entered your information on the My Vote Wisconsin page and searched for yourself, you’ll be taken to your My Voter Profile. The menu at the left has an option for “Request An Absentee Ballot.”

Here you’ll find the name, phone, e-mail, and address for your Municipal Clerk.

In-person absentee voting “runs for two weeks before an election, ending at 5 p.m. or the close of business (whichever is later) on the Friday before the election.”

4. Voting Absentee via mail: request a ballot
If you’d rather not show up ahead of time in-person to vote, you can mail your ballot in to your County Clerk.

You’ll need to request an absentee ballot using form GAB-121. This form itself must be sent in first (via mail, fax, or email) to your County Clerk, and they’ll send out a ballot to vote according to your submitted preference. This request “must be received by the clerk no later than 5:00 p.m. on the Thursday before the election in order for an absentee ballot to be sent to you.”

Do not forget to send in a copy of your valid photo ID with the GAB-121 application. When voting with this method, it is the application, not the ballot, that requires an ID.

5. Receive ballot, vote, and return
If your application (GAB-121) is received on time, the County Clerk will mail you a ballot to fill and return (paid-postage included). Only Military or Permanent Overseas residents can receive their ballot in any method other than mail.

Make sure your completed ballot is postmarked no later than Election Day and you should be all set.

For being a government bureaucracy, Wisconsin has made this whole absentee voting thing fairly painless. You already buy all your home goods on your couch in your pajamas, why not vote on your couch in your pajamas, too? It’s a magical time to be alive.

Democracy!