Making sure you have everything you need ahead of time, whether you are heading to your polling place, clerk’s office, or mailbox, is key before the August 9th partisan primary. The Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled earlier this month that drop boxes for ballots were illegal and only the voter themselves can hand deliver their ballot to the clerk’s office. The ballot drop boxes have been a flash point of controversy in the state since the 2020 general election. The court’s decision did not have that big of an impact on Door County’s election operations. County Clerk Jill Lau says she advised municipal clerks to adopt the practices for handling absentee ballots in April when it became clear the direction the Wisconsin Supreme Court was going. Outside of giving back a few ballots because it was not the voter turning them in, there have not been many questions since they instituted the policy. Lau says ensuring you have the proper identification ready and you mail your absentee ballot right away will eliminate some of your election day stress.
Lau says the August partisan primary usually does not call for many absentee ballot requests, but that could be good news for the August 9th election date or when in-person absentee voting begins next Monday.
FROM WISCONSIN DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Ahead of the Wisconsin Fall Primary on August 9, Wisconsin Department of Transportation Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) reminds voters how to obtain identification, free of charge, that is valid for voting.
Valid identification for voting purposes includes a driver license, identification card, military or student ID card, etc. There is no separate “voter ID.” A federally compliant REAL ID card is not required for voting purposes. Anyone unsure if their identification meets the requirements should visit the Wisconsin Elections Commission website to check.
To obtain identification to show at the polls for voting, begin online. A list of the required documents to bring to a DMV Customer Service Center is available at wisconsindmv.gov. If the required documents needed for an ID are not readily available, DMV has a process, called the Voter ID Petition Process, to obtain the necessary information. This process, available free of charge, may be used to quickly obtain a receipt valid to take to the polls for voting while the remaining documents or verifications are obtained.
Anyone with questions related to obtaining an ID to vote should call DMV’s toll-free Voter ID hotline at (844) 588-1069. Questions regarding voter eligibility, poll locations, voter registration information or other election information can be directed to the Wisconsin Elections Commission at elections.wi.gov
Start your application now at wisconsindmv.gov or at a local DMV Customer Service Center. To find a DMV, check hours, services and wait times, visit wisconsindmv.govcenters.
