The City Clerk’s Office is celebrating National Disability Voter Registration Week by highlighting accessible options for voters of all abilities to cast a ballot and have that ballot counted. 

The Clerk's Office is partnering with the Wisconsin Council for the Blind & Visually Impaired, Access to Independence, the Board for People with Developmental Disabilities, the League of Women Voters of Dane County, the Dane County Voter ID Coalition, and the Wisconsin Elections Commission to offer two voter outreach events next Wednesday, July 17.  All are welcome to participate. 

A voter registration drive will be held at the Wednesday Dane County Farmer's Market on the 200 block of Martin Luther King, Jr., Boulevard next Wednesday.  The Clerk's Office will also offer a mock election featuring the ExpressVote accessible ballot marking device in the entryway of the City-County Building, 210 Martin Luther King, Jr., Boulevard next Wednesday from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.  The ExpressVote, which is available at every City of Madison polling place and absentee voting site, allows voters to mark their ballot using a braille keypad or a touchscreen with large print and high contrast options.

All polling locations across the state must be accessible for voters with disabilities.  The Wisconsin Elections Commission regularly conducts accessibility audits on Election Day. Voters with disabilities should be aware that they may vote from the curb of the polling place if it is difficult or burdensome to access the room where voting takes place; someone just needs to notify the poll workers or the Clerk that there is a curbside voter.

Voters who are indefinitely confined to their home due to disability or age may request absentee ballots for all elections.  Voters on the permanent absentee list do not need to submit a copy of their ID to the Clerk's Office.  They will continue receiving ballots as long as they return each ballot to the Clerk's Office.  This absentee request can be submitted on paper or online through https://MyVote.wi.gov.

Voters unable to attend the events next Wednesday may wish to update their voter registration online. Eligible voters who have a Wisconsin ID or Wisconsin driver license can register online at https://MyVote.wi.gov . The voter’s address on file with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation needs to be current, but can be updated at the DOT website. The address printed on the ID will not matter when proving identity at the polls.

City of Madison eligible voters may register at any Madison Public Library or at the front desk of any City of Madison agency, regardless of whether they have a Wisconsin ID. These voters will need to present a document showing their name at their current address. The acceptable documents most commonly used as proof of address are unexpired Wisconsin driver license or ID cards, utility bills issued within the past 90 days, bank statements, and government documents.

Eligible voters who need to obtain a Wisconsin ID to use as their voter ID may call the Dane County Voter ID Coalition hotline at 608-285-2141 for free assistance, including a free cab ride to the DMV.