Vote absentee in the April 7 election, urges clerk
Because of the COVID-19, voters in Marathon County are urged to to vote absentee for the April 7 spring election and presidential preference primary.
“Polls will be open in all Marathon County municipalities for those who need them on Election Day, but most voters should vote absentee for this election,” said Marathon County clerk Kim Trueblood. “For that to happen, you should request an absentee ballot as soon as possible.”
Wednesday, March 18, is the deadline for electors to register to vote by mail or online for the presidential preference Primary and Spring Election. After this date, electors must register in person in the municipal clerk’s office or at the polling place on Election Day. There are several ways registered voters can request absentee ballots. If they have internet access, the easiest way is to sign up at MyVote Wisconsin, https://myvote. wi.gov. Just look for the “Vote Absentee” button near the top of the page. On a mobile phone, use the menu button in the upper right corner of the website. There is a three-step pro- cess that starts with putting in your name and date of birth, followed by requesting your ballot. If you don’t already have a photo ID on file with your clerk’s office, you can upload a copy. Mobile phone users can take a picture and upload it to MyVote. Absentee ballot requests submitted this way go directly to your clerk’s office, and you can track your ballot by returning to the website.
Voters can also request absentee ballots by mailing, e-mailing or faxing their municipal clerk’s office. You can find your clerk’s contact information on MyVote Wisconsin. These requests must be accompanied by a copy of your photo ID. If you already have a photo ID on file from previous absentee requests under your current registration, you will not need to provide it again.
Voters who are indefinitely confi ned, meaning they may have diffi- culty getting to the polls for reason of age, illness, infirmity, or disability are not required to provide a photo ID. Voters in care facilities can have a representative of the facility confi rm the resident’s identity instead of providing a photo ID. More information on photo ID and exemptions can be found at bringit.wi.gov.
The deadline for registered voters to request an absentee ballot be mailed to you is the Thursday before the election, April 2. However, Trueblood urges voters not to wait, due to possible delays in mail delivery. If you get an absentee ballot mailed to you, you can still decide to vote at the polls on Election Day if you haven’t returned it.
Your absentee ballot must be received in your clerk’s office or at your polling place by 8 p.m. on Election Day.
