Politics

Supreme Court rules on Wisconsin 2020 election ballot issue

How to ensure your vote counts

by Victoria Magee, Editor-In-Chief|October 27, 2020

Photo by Celine Cotton/ Times Photo Editor

Official ballot drop boxes are located throughout the City of Milwaukee. Voters can submit their absentee mail-in ballots into the official boxes until 7:30 pm on November 3rd.

City of Milwaukee residents can vote early at the Downtown Campus. In-person early voting at the College is available until Saturday, October 31 from 11 am – 2 pm. The voting entrance is located in the T-building on 6th Street. You must wear a mask at all times. (Photo by Victoria Magee)

Monday evening the Supreme Court ruled 5-3 that Wisconsin absentee mail-in ballots must be received by 8 pm on November 3 to be counted, regardless, of when it was postmarked. This decision overturns a lower court ruling that attempted extended the deadline to November 9^th.

Concerns about Covid-19 has led to an increase in absentee ballot requests across the nation. Most notably, here in Wisconsin. “More than 1.4 million Wisconsin voters have requested absentee ballots by mail, but only 1 million have been recorded as returned,” said Meagan Wolfe, administrator for the Wisconsin Elections Commission.

That number does not include the 352,000 ballots that were cast early in person. According to the Associated Press, that is 48% of the total Wisconsin votes cast in the 2016 presidential election. About 10 times more ballots have been returned by mail than in typical presidential elections.

As we grow closer to the election date, voters are becoming concerned if the United States Postal Service can deliver absentee ballots on time. Both democratic and republican officials are now urging their voters to avoid mailing in their absentee ballots. Instead, they suggest either returning ballots to the election clerk’s office, seeking out official ballot boxes, vote early in person, or vote in person on November 3 to ensure that your vote will count.

“We want citizens to choose the option for voting that works best for them, but time is running out. For voters who choose to vote absentee by mail, we want to be sure they have the information they need to navigate that process,” said Wolfe. “Of course, every voter who is eligible to vote in the state can also vote early or in-person on election day,” she said.

Voter Information:

Check Registration and Follow your ballot: MyVote.Wi.Gov

ID information: Bringit.Wi.Gov

Important Dates*:

Friday, October 30, 2020: Final day to register to vote at your municipal clerk’s office. Visit https://myvote.wi.gov to find your local clerk’s contact information and hours of operation.

Sunday, November 1, 2020: The last day that municipal clerks may offer in-person absentee voting in their office or a satellite location. Most clerks only offer absentee voting in their office until Friday, October 30, and office hours vary by municipality. Please visit https://myvote.wi.gov to find your municipal clerk’s office’s contact information and learn more about absentee voting in-person for the upcoming election.

Tuesday, November 3, 2020: Election Day. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., and voters who are returning an absentee ballot to their polling place must get it there by 8 p.m. Voters returning their ballot to the clerk’s office or a dropbox should do so early in the day, so the clerk has enough time to send ballots to the proper location for counting by the 8 p.m. deadline.

*Wisconsin Election Commission