Wisconsin Voter information flyer

1. Wisconsin
General Information
Your Voice, Your Vote to persons with disabilities. All voters may also receive up
Your vote is your voice in our democracy. Voting allows to two replacement ballots if they make a mistake or decide
each of us the privilege and opportunity to play a part in to change their vote before their ballot is cast. Questions
caring for our local, state, and national community. can be directed to the Government Accountability Board by
calling 866-VOTEWIS (866-868- 3947). Information can
People who vote have a powerful impact and influence on also be found on the Disability Vote Coalition’s website at:
lawmaking, budget choices, and other decisions that impact www.disabilityvote.org.
our lives. Your own views, values and concerns may not be
heard if you don’t vote. ...for Persons with a Felony Conviction
In Wisconsin, voting rights are reinstated for persons
In Wisconsin, you have the right to vote if you: convicted of a felony who have completed their sentence,
1. are a U.S. citizen, and including parole and probation. Individuals who have
2. are at least 18 years of age, and completed their sentence should re-register to vote.
3. have lived in Wisconsin for 28 days, and
4. are not otherwise restricted from voting
because you have: ...for Individuals with No Permanent Address
• been convicted of a felony and your Wisconsin’s Government Accountability Board (GAB)
voting rights are not yet restored, or states that “homeless individuals may designate a fixed
• been judged incompetent, or location as their residence for voting purposes.” The only
• already voted in that election caveat is that the location must be an identifiable location
in Wisconsin that can conceivably serve as a temporary
residence. Examples of such locations are homeless
...for Older Adults or Persons with Disabilities shelters, a park bench, or other such locations where an
In Wisconsin, the right to vote is maintained for all individual who is homeless may spend time or return to
persons, including older adults and people with disabilities, when absent.
with the exception of someone declared “incompetent”
during the guardianship process or through a petition to the Homeless people wishing to register on Election Day need
circuit court to remove that right. Individuals under limited to have some form of identification with their name on it
guardianship, however, may have retained their right to and their residence. According to the GAB, “This
vote. Status of voting rights can be determined by checking . . . may include a letter from a shelter for the homeless or
an individual’s Determination and Order Form, which can from a[n] . . . organization providing services for homeless
be obtained from the guardian or the Office of the Register individuals. The letter identifies the individual and
in Probate. describes the location designated as the person’s residence
for voting purposes. The identification letter should be on
Individuals who have trouble with reading and writing, letterhead and signed by a person affiliated with the social
difficulty with the English language or who have a services organization.”
disability which prevents them from marking the ballot
may receive assistance with the voting process from their More information can be found at gab.wi.gov.
person of choice. That is true as long as that person is not
their employer, an agent of their employer, or an agent of
the individual’s labor union (if they are a member of one).
Individuals who are not able to make it to their polling
place on Election Day may apply for an absentee ballot. A
voter indefinitely confined due to age, illness, or physical
disability may make a single request and be permitted to
vote absentee automatically at each election.
All states must provide an accessible voting process. Each
voting site must have at least one machine that is accessible
Brought to you by the LSS Advocacy Team
www.lsswis.org

2. Voter Registration 2012 Election Dates —
Mark Your Calendar!
In Wisconsin, you can
register to vote by
mail, in person at your
municipal clerk’s office
prior to the election, [ Tuesday, June 5 ]
or at your polling Recall General Election
place on Election
Day. Don’t forget:
[ Tuesday, August 14 ]
if you’ve moved or
changed your name, Fall Primary Election
you need to update your voter
registration! [ Tuesday, Nov. 6 ]
General Election
If you’re not sure if you’re registered to vote, the
following website will verify this and whether
your information is up to date; it will also let you
Absentee Ballot
know where you should go to cast your vote:
https://vpa.wi.gov/VoterSearchScreen.aspx
Will you be out of town or are you worried about
long lines on Election Day? You can ask your
Voter ID Requirements. . . friendly municipal clerk for an absentee ballot.
The clerk will allow you to vote on-site until
Never mind! 5:00pm on the Friday before the election.
Wisconsin’s 2011 Photo ID law was struck down
in March 2012, so there are no longer any photo You can find additional information and links to
identification requirements when you go to vote. an application for an absentee ballot, as well as a
In other words, on Election Day, you need not directory of municipal clerks, at:
worry about bringing with you any forms of photo http://gab.wi.gov/elections-voting/voters/absentee.
identification.
This is true for the April 3rd Spring Presidential For More Information
Preference Primary Election. It is possible that For additional voter registration information, to
the law could be reinstated by the fall General download voter registration forms, polling place
Election; if so, LSS Advocacy will send out information and much more, email:
updated information and post that information on Advocacy@lsswis.org or visit this helpful website
the LSS website. at: http://vpa.wi.gov.
Brought to you by the LSS Advocacy Team
www.lsswis.org