The City of Madison Clerk’s Office would like voters to know ten things for this Tuesday’s election:
- Some polling places have changed since the last Presidential Election. To verify your polling location, visit myvote.wi.gov.
- If you have a question or need help, ask a poll worker. We work to keep our elections transparent. Poll workers are happy to answer your questions as long as the questions are not political in nature. The Clerk’s Office is available to answer your questions, too.
- If you are in line to vote at 8:00 pm, stay in line. A poll worker will stand at the end of the line to make sure everyone who was at the polling place before the polls closed gets an opportunity to vote.
- Don’t let a lack of Voter ID keep you from going to the polls. Voters without acceptable ID may vote provisionally. Provisional voters who get a copy of their ID to the Clerk’s Office by 4:00 pm on Friday, Nov. 6 will have their ballot counted by the Board of Canvassers that evening. The Dane County Voter ID Coalition can help you obtain a free Wisconsin ID. Their hotline is (608) 285-2141.
- The address on your Voter ID does not matter. When checking Voter ID, poll workers are only verifying your identity. They are not checking the address on your ID.
- There is no requirement that your Voter ID meet federal REAL ID requirements. If you renewed your Wisconsin driver license or Wisconsin ID and did not have all the certified documents required for a REAL ID, the DMV would have informed you that your new ID is “non-compliant” with the REAL ID Act of 2005. Even “non-compliant” Wisconsin ID cards are acceptable for proving your identity at the polls.
- Certain types of Voter ID can be expired. If you are using a Wisconsin driver license, a Wisconsin ID, a U.S. passport, or a military ID to prove your identity at the polls, the ID can have an expiration date of 11/07/2018 or later.
- Someone convicted of a felony may vote once they’ve served their sentence and are Off Paper. Wisconsin restores civil rights – including voting rights – to felons who complete the terms of their sentence, including probation, parole, and/or extended supervision. They will just need to re-register to vote at the polls with proof of address.
- Proof of address is only needed when you are registering to vote or updating your voter registration. If you are registering to vote at the polls on Election Day, your proof of address may be shown in an electronic format, e.g., bringing up your library account on your cell phone or showing poll workers your online utility bill. If you have changed your name, you won’t need to update your voter registration until you obtain an ID with that new name.
- Do not hesitate to contact the Clerk’s Office. If you have a question or encounter a problem at your polling place, please let us know right away by calling (608) 266-4601.
