Voting in Wisconsin
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The policies governing voter participation are enacted and enforced primarily at the state level. These policies, which include voter identification requirements, early voting provisions, online voter registration systems, and more, dictate the conditions under which people cast their ballots in their respective states.
This article includes the following information about voting policies in Wisconsin:
- Voter registration details, including deadlines and eligibility requirements.
- In-person voting details, including identification requirements, poll times, and early voting provisions.
- Absentee/mail-in voting deadlines and rules.
- Details about voting rules for people convicted of a felony.
- Contact information election agencies.
Click here for more information about election administration in the state, including voter list maintenance policies, provisional ballot rules, post-election auditing practices, and additional election policy context.
For information on elections happening this year, click here.
Do you have questions about your elections? Looking for information about your local election official? Click here to use U.S. Vote Foundation’s election official lookup tool.
Voter registration
The table below displays voter registration information specific to Wisconsin's 2025 election cycle.
Eligibility and registration details
- Check your voter registration status here.
To register to vote in Wisconsin, one must be a citizen of the United States and a resident of Wisconsin for at least 28 days prior to the election. A voter must be at least 18 years of age by Election Day.[1]
Prospective voters can register online or by mailing a form to their municipal clerk. If registering by mail, the application must be postmarked no later than 20 days before the election. In-person registration must be completed by 5 p.m. on the Friday before Election Day. Prospective voters can also register in person at their municipal clerk's office up until the Friday before the election or at their polling place on Election Day. (Same-day voter registration requires proof of residency.)[1]
In-person voting
The table below displays in-person voting information specific to Wisconsin's 2025 election cycle.
Poll times
- See also: State poll opening and closing times
In Wisconsin, polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Central Time. An individual who is in line at the time polls close must be allowed to vote.[2]
Voter identification
- See also: Voter identification laws by state
Wisconsin requires voters to present photo identification while voting.[3]
The following list of accepted ID was current as of May 2023. Click here for the Wisconsin Secretary of State's page on accepted ID to ensure you have the most current information.
- Wisconsin Department of Transportation-issued driver license, even if driving privileges are revoked or suspended
- Wisconsin Department of Transportation-issued identification card, with or without a photo
- Military ID card issued by the U.S. Uniformed Services
- U.S. passport book or card
- Identification card issued by a federally recognized Indian tribe in Wisconsin (can be expired or unexpired)
- Photo identification card issued by a Wisconsin accredited university or college, or technical college, containing the date the card was issued and a signature. (If expired, the voter must also provide a separate document proving enrollment).
- Veteran's photo ID card issued by a government authority
- Certificate of naturalization issued within the past two years
- Driver’s license receipt issued by Wisconsin Department of Transportation (valid for 45 days from date issued)
- Identification card receipt issued by Wisconsin Department of Transportation (valid for 45 days from date issued)
- Wisconsin Department of Motor Vehicles ID Petition Process Photo Receipt (valid for 60 days from date issued)
The following voters do not need to provide photo ID:[3]
- Confidential electors
- Active military and permanent overseas voters who vote by absentee ballot
- Indefinitely confined voters who vote by absentee ballot
Voters can obtain a free Wisconsin State ID Card at a Wisconsin Division of Motor Vehicles office. Voters need the following to apply for an ID:[4]
- Proof of name and date of birth (birth certificate)
- Proof of identity (Social Security Card, Medicaid/Medicare Card, etc.)
- Proof of Wisconsin residency (utility bill, government mail, lease, etc.)
- Proof of U.S. citizenship (U.S. Birth certificate or citizenship paperwork)
- Social Security Number
Voters who do not have all or any of the materials listed above can still obtain an ID. Call the voter ID hotline for assistance at (844) 588-1069.[4]
Early voting
- See also: Early voting
Wisconsin permits early voting. Learn more by visiting this website.
Early voting permits citizens to cast ballots in person at a polling place prior to an election. In states that permit no-excuse early voting, a voter does not have to provide an excuse for being unable to vote on Election Day. States that allow voters to cast no-excuse absentee/mail-in ballots in person are counted as no-excuse early voting states.
As of February 2024, 47 states and the District of Columbia permitted no-excuse early voting.
Absentee/mail-in voting
- See also: Absentee/mail-in voting
The table below displays absentee voting information specific to Wisconsin's 2025 election cycle.
All voters are eligible to vote absentee/by mail in Wisconsin. There are no special eligibility requirements for voting absentee/by mail.[5][6]
To vote absentee by mail, a request to the municipal clerk must be received by 5 p.m. on the Thursday before Election Day. Once completed, returned ballots must be received no later than 8 p.m. on Election Day.[5][7]
Local election officials
Do you need information about elections in your area? Are you looking for your local election official? Click here to visit the U.S. Vote Foundation and use their election official lookup tool. |
Voting rules for people convicted of a felony
In Wisconsin, people convicted of a felony automatically regain their right to vote upon completion of their entire sentence, including incarceration and parole or probation.[8]
Voting rights for people convicted of a felony vary from state to state. In the majority of states, people convicted of a felony cannot vote while they are incarcerated but may regain the right to vote upon release from prison or at some point thereafter.[9]
Election administration cost database
The Wisconsin Elections Commission maintains a database on election administration costs in the state. That database is accessible here.
Election administration agencies
Election agencies
- See also: State election agencies
Individuals seeking additional information about voting provisions in Wisconsin can contact the following local, state, and federal agencies.
Wisconsin County Clerks
Wisconsin Elections Commission
- Physical Address: 201 West Washington Avenue, Second Floor
- Madison, Wisconsin 53703
- Mailing Address: P.O. Box 7984
- Madison, Wisconsin 53707-7984
- Phone: 608-266-8005
- Toll free: 1-866-VOTE-WIS
- Fax: 608-267-0500
- Email: elections@wi.gov
- Website: https://myvote.wi.gov/en-us/
U.S. Election Assistance Commission
- 633 3rd Street NW, Suite 200
- Washington, DC 20001
- Phone: 301-563-3919
- Toll free: 1-866-747-1471
- Email: clearinghouse@eac.gov
- Website: https://www.eac.gov
Ballotpedia's Election Administration Legislation Tracker
State election laws are changing. Keeping track of the latest developments in all 50 states can seem like an impossible job.
Here's the solution: Ballotpedia's Election Administration Legislation Tracker.
Ballotpedia's Election Administration Tracker sets the industry standard for ease of use, flexibility, and raw power. But that's just the beginning of what it can do:
- Ballotpedia's election experts provide daily updates on bills and other relevant political developments
- We translate complex bill text into easy-to-understand summaries written in everyday language
- And because it's from Ballotpedia, our Tracker is guaranteed to be neutral, unbiased, and nonpartisan
State of Election Administration Legislation Reports
Ballotpedia publishes regular analysis of election administration legislation, including three full reports per year, providing ongoing coverage of legislative activity affecting election policy in each state. These reports deliver insights into partisan priorities, dive deep into notable trends, and highlight activity in key states.
Below are links to the most recent editions. Click here to see all past reports, and be on the lookout for more throughout the year!
- State of Election Administration Legislation 2024 Year-End Report
- State of Election Administration Legislation 2024 Mid-Year Report
- State of Election Administration Legislation, May 2024 Roundup
The Ballot Bulletin
The Ballot Bulletin is a weekly email that delivers the latest updates on election policy. The Ballot Bulletin tracks developments in election policy around the country, including legislative activity, big-picture trends, and recent news. Each email contains in-depth data from our Election Administration Legislation Tracker. You'll also be able to track relevant legislation, with links to and summaries of the bills themselves.
Recent issues
Click below to view recent issues of The Ballot Bulletin.
- The Ballot Bulletin: March 14, 2025
- The Ballot Bulletin: March 7, 2025
- The Ballot Bulletin: February 28, 2025
- The Ballot Bulletin: February 21, 2025
- The Ballot Bulletin: February 14, 2025
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Ballotpedia's election coverage
- United States Senate Democratic Party primaries, 2024
- United States House Democratic Party primaries, 2024
- Democratic Party gubernatorial primaries, 2024
- Democratic Party Secretary of State primaries, 2024
- Democratic Party Attorney General primaries, 2024
- State legislative Democratic primaries, 2024
- United States Senate Republican Party primaries, 2024
- United States House Republican Party primaries, 2024
- Republican Party gubernatorial primaries, 2024
- Republican Party Secretary of State primaries, 2024
- Republican Party Attorney General primaries, 2024
- State legislative Republican primaries, 2024
See also
- State of Election Administration Legislation Reports
- Voter ID in Wisconsin
- Election administration in Wisconsin
- Ballot access requirements for political candidates in Wisconsin
Elections in Wisconsin
- Wisconsin elections, 2025
- Wisconsin elections, 2024
- Wisconsin elections, 2023
- Wisconsin elections, 2022
- Wisconsin elections, 2021
- Wisconsin elections, 2020
- Wisconsin elections, 2019
- Wisconsin elections, 2018
- Wisconsin elections, 2017
- Wisconsin elections, 2016
- Wisconsin elections, 2015
- Wisconsin elections, 2014
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Wisconsin Elections Commission, "Voter Registration and Proof of Residence," accessed May 4, 2023
- ↑ Wisconsin Election Commission, “Election Day Voting,” accessed May 4, 2023
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Wisconsin Elections Commission, "Photo ID," accessed May 4, 2023 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; name "wvid" defined multiple times with different content - ↑ 4.0 4.1 Wisconsin Department of Transportation, "Wisconsin ID card for voting purposes - petition process," accessed May 4, 2023
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Wisconsin Election Commission, "What is in-person absentee voting and how can I do it?" accessed May 4, 2023
- ↑ Wisconsin Elections Commission, "Vote Absentee Guide," accessed May 4, 2023
- ↑ Wisconsin Election Commission, "FAQ search results: absentee," accessed May 4, 2023
- ↑ Wisconsin Elections Commission, "I'm a convicted felon or in jail," accessed May 4, 2023
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "Felon Voting Rights," April 6, 2023
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