Are You Ready to Vote? Find Registration Info and More!
Election day is just around the corner, but if you have questions about voting, registration, or other election day items, vote.wisc.edu has answers! Visit vote.wisc.edu for a complete rundown on the Nov. 3 election.
Do you need to register?
If you are voting at the same address as the last time you voted (including apartment number), you should already be registered. You can check if you are registered at My Vote Wisconsin.
You will need to register or re-register if:
- You are a first-time voter
- You have moved to a new address (or even changed apartment numbers)
- You have changed your legal name since the last time you voted
Prepare to register
How to register
Options for registering include online registration (for those eligible); by mail; in person; or at your polling place on Election Day.
Register online: You can complete your voter registration online at myvote.wi.gov if:
· You have a current valid Wisconsin driver license or Wisconsin ID card.
· Your current name and zip code are in the DMV database.
You can update your address in the DMV database at wisconsindot.gov/Pages/online-srvcs/change-addy/default.aspx. No further proof of residence is needed. The address on your ID does not matter.
Online registration closes Oct. 14 for the Nov. 3 election.
Register at a campus event:
The Madison City Clerk’s office is offering on-campus voter registration support in tents at Memorial Union and Union South from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from Sept. 28 to Oct. 14.
In addition, City of Madison poll workers will be in every Madison community park, neighborhood park, and mini park to register voters, answer questions about the voting process, and accept the delivery of absentee ballots in the Democracy in the Park event from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 3.
In addition, the Madison City Clerk’s office is holding voter registration events every Tuesday through Oct. 13, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. outside Pres House on Library Mall. Safety restrictions will be in place for all these events.
Find an event here.
Register by mail (in Wisconsin) (more than 20 days prior to the election): Follow the instructions on this website.
Register in person (in Madison):
You can register at the City Clerk’s Office until the close of business on the Friday before an election. Everyone needs to provide acceptable proof of current residence to register this close to the election. (See acceptable forms of proof listed below.) Documents used as proof of address may be presented in paper or electronic format.
Until 20 days prior to an election, you can register at several additional locations, including any Madison Public Library.
Once registration closes 20 days before an election, you may only register to vote in the City Clerk’s Office or other City of Madison in-person absentee voting site (during absentee voting hours) with proof of address, until the close of absentee voting the Friday before the election.
Only Election Registration Officials, who are employees of the City, can register you, unless you can register online.
The City of Madison has trained Election Registration Officials who will be able to register City of Madison residents and assist them in casting an in-person absentee ballot at Madison Public Libraries and some other locations (including the SAC on campus) within that 20-day window. The City of Madison has a schedule of in-person absentee voting for this election on its website here.
Students who live in other municipalities need to contact their municipal clerks for information. They will have to register in-person at their clerk’s office or at the polls. They can get the contact information through MyVote.wi.gov or here: https://www.countyofdane.com/election/clerks.aspx
Register on Election Day at your polling station: You will need the same items needed to register at the clerk’s office as described above. Being pre-registered helps you vote faster on Election Day, but registering at the polls is permissible.
Notes:
- If you have been issued a Wisconsin driver license or WisDOT-issued ID that is current and valid, you must provide the number and expiration date.
- If your Wisconsin driver license is revoked, suspended or expired; or your WisDOT-issued ID is expired, provide the number and the last four digits of your Social Security number.
- If you have not been issued a Wisconsin driver’s license or WisDOT-issued ID, you must provide the last four digits of your Social Security number.
- If you have none of these documents, you will be able to indicate that fact.
Acceptable proofs of current address for registering
If you register by mail, in person, or on Election Day, you must provide proof of residence. This document proves where you live in Wisconsin.
The following are acceptable, but they must have your current name and address printed on them.
- An electronically displayed or printed Voter Enrollment Verification Letter from the Office of the Registrar. (Guest and Special Students are not eligible for the voter enrollment letter.) Read more about this topic.
- A current and valid Wisconsin driver’s license or Wisconsin identification card.
- Any other official identification card or license issued by a Wisconsin governmental body or unit
- An identification card issued by an employer in the normal course of business, which has a photograph of the cardholder, but not a business card.
- A real estate tax bill or receipt for the current year or the year preceding the date of the election.
- A current residential lease.
- A UW–Madison or Edgewood College ID card with a photograph of the cardholder, accompanied by a fee statement for the current semester.
- A utility bill for the period commencing not earlier than 90 days before the election. A printed copy of an online bill is acceptable.
- A bank, credit union or credit card statements. A printed copy of an online statement is acceptable.
- A paycheck.
- A check or other document issued by a unit of government, including the University of Wisconsin.
- A printed copy of your current bursar’s statement.
- In lieu of a paper copy, individuals may present an electronic display of a qualifying document on a mobile device or computer to prove their address for residency verification.
Note: A UW–Madison voter-issued ID card on its own is NOT acceptable proof of address.
