MADISON – In anticipation of Tuesday’s Spring Primary, the Wisconsin Elections Commission is providing guidance to ensure voters are prepared. Here’s what to know:

  1. There are no statewide contests in this year’s Spring Primary. Ballots will instead feature local or judicial races. In total, there will be 68 different primary contests throughout the state, and 268 candidates seeking office for those contests. Many municipalities – and even some wards within municipalities – did not have a Spring Primary on Tuesday.
  2. Voters can check their registration status, find their polling place, and see what’s on their ballot at MyVote.wi.gov.
  3. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Polling place hours are the same across Wisconsin, no matter where you live. Voters need to be in line by 8 p.m. to participate. 
  4. You can register to vote in person at your polling place this Tuesday. This also applies if you’ve moved or changed your name since the last election. To register, voters will need to show a proof of residence document, which must contain the voter’s name and current residential address. Examples include a bank statement, recent electric bill, or a current and valid Wisconsin driver’s license or state ID card. Learn more at elections.wi.gov/Register
  5. Don’t forget your photo ID! Wisconsin requires an acceptable photo ID to vote, such as a Wisconsin driver’s license, state ID card, U.S. passport, military or veteran’s ID, tribal ID, a certificate of naturalization, or some student IDs. Note that your ID does not need to show your current address to cast a ballot. Those without an acceptable photo ID can get one for free at their local Division of Motor Vehicles office. For more information, call 608-266-1069.
  6. Voters can still return absentee ballots on Election Day. Voters should contact their municipal clerk to learn where absentee ballots should be returned. Most voters must personally deliver their own absentee ballot (see number 7 below for exceptions). Remember: Both the voter’s address and witness’s address need to be clear and complete on the certificate envelope.
  7. Voters with disabilities have additional options when returning absentee ballots. Pursuant to the Voting Rights Act, any Wisconsin voter who requires assistance with mailing or delivering an absentee ballot to the municipal clerk due to a disability must be permitted to receive assistance from a person of the voter’s choice. This person cannot be the voter’s employer or an agent of the employer. This person also cannot be an officer or agent of the voters’ union. Contact your municipal clerk if you have questions. 
  8. To learn more about how elections administration works in Wisconsin, visit elections.wi.gov/101

Post Election Day Reminders:

  • The WEC does not plan to calculate preliminary, unofficial statewide turnout figures for Tuesday’s election. The most reliable and accessible source of turnout estimates would be local election officials, who can speak to turnout in their respective communities.
  • Election results are not final until they are certified. Municipal Boards of Canvassers offer the final verification and certification of municipal-level contests, such as primaries for mayor and city council, and also review county and state-level contests before forwarding to the county; School Districts Boards of Canvassers offer final verification and certification of school district contests; county boards of canvassers offer final verification and certification for county-level contests, such as the primaries for county board, and also review state-level contests before forwarding to the WEC; and the chair of the WEC offers the final verification and certification for state-level contests, such as the primaries for circuit court judge.
  • The deadlines associated with each canvass are available in the WEC’s 2026 Calendar of Election Events: https://elections.wi.gov/memo/2026-election-calendar-available
  • The chair of the WEC must certify the Feb. 17 election results by March 3. The WEC will publish official state-level results once they have been canvassed at the local level and certified. The WEC does not centrally compile unofficial results. However, unofficial election results are available on county websites, and a list with links to these county election sites is available here: https://elections.wi.gov/wisconsin-county-election-websites
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