Recent court ruling requires absentee voters to return their own absentee ballot.
Absentee ballots for City of Madison voters who have a request on file have been mailed.

A recent court decision has a significant impact on how an absentee voter can return their completed absentee ballot. As a result of the decision, the use of absentee ballot drop boxes is prohibited and no one but the absentee voter is able to return their completed ballot.

An absentee voter must return their own completed absentee ballot. The following is a list of options for returning absentee ballots:

  • The absentee voter places their completed absentee ballot in the mail to be returned to the City Clerk’s Office.
  • The absentee voter hand-delivers their completed absentee ballot to an election official at any in-person absentee voting location (starting Tuesday, Mar. 22).
  • The absentee voter hand-delivers their completed absentee ballot to personnel in the City Clerk’s Office or hand-delivers their completed absentee ballot to the City Clerk.
  • The absentee voter hand-delivers their completed absentee ballot to their polling place on Election Day by 8:00pm. Voters can look up their polling place at www.cityofmadison.com/WhereDoIVote.

An absentee voter may not have anyone return their completed ballot for them. This prohibition includes partners, spouses, children, and other family members.

The use of absentee ballot drop boxes is prohibited. The City of Madison drop boxes remain locked.

Voters may not drop their completed absentee ballot in any of the drop boxes outside of the City-County Building or the Madison Municipal Building. Those drop boxes are not monitored by City Clerk’s Office staff. Staff from Dane County agencies or other City of Madison agencies cannot return absentee ballots for anyone other than themselves.

Absentee ballots must be returned by 8:00pm on Election Day to be counted. Absentee voters are encouraged to return their completed absentee ballot as soon as possible. If a voter plans to vote absentee by mail for the April 5 Spring Election, they should request their absentee ballot as soon as possible. Absentee requests can be made in writing to the City Clerk’s Office or online at MyVote.WI.gov.

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