The City of Madison Clerk’s Office is determined to make voting accessible for all eligible voters.
- Poll workers at each City of Madison polling place use the Disability Rights Wisconsin polling place checklist on election morning to verify accessibility. The Clerk’s Office encourages voters who encounter obstacles on Election Day to notify poll workers or the City Clerk’s Office as soon as possible so the issue can be addressed.
- Voting is available at the curb of the polling place for voters who find if it is difficult to get to the room where voting takes place. Poll workers will be in bright yellow safety vests near the entrance to each polling place to assist voters with curbside voting.
- Voters who are unable to sign or make their mark on the poll book due to a physical disability are exempt from the poll book signature requirement. The voter just needs to inform the poll workers that they cannot sign because of a disability. Voters are not required to disclose the nature of their disability to the poll workers.
- The ExpressVote is available at every City of Madison polling place and in-person absentee voting site allows voters to mark a ballot using a Braille keypad or a touchscreen with large print and high contrast options. Ballots marked by the ExpressVote are counted by the same machine that counts traditional ballots. The ExpressVote is compatible with sip-and-puff devices. This ballot marking device is available to all eligible voters. It should be positioned in a way that passersby cannot see a voter’s selections. For additional ballot secrecy, voters using the headphones as they select their candidates may choose to black out the screen.
- Voters may choose anyone to assist them in physically marking their ballot. The only rules are that the assistant may not be the voter’s employer or union agent. The assistant will mark the candidates chosen by the voter and will sign the space on the ballot designated for the assistant’s signature.
- Voters may request that the Clerk’s Office provide them with a Braille ballot, either as an absentee ballot or as a ballot at the polling place. Advance notice is needed to print the ballot. Voters seeking more information about this option may contact the Clerk’s Office at (608) 266-4601 or voting@cityofmadison.com.
- Voters who are indefinitely confined to their home due to disability or age may request absentee ballots for all elections. Voters who are indefinitely confined do not need to submit a copy of their ID to the Clerk’s Office. They will continue receiving ballots as long as they return a ballot to the Clerk’s Office for each election. This absentee request can be submitted on paper or online through https://MyVote.wi.gov .
