City Clerk's Office

The August Primary falls on Move Out Day for many downtown Madison apartments.

It takes ten days to establish residency for voting purposes, but moving on Election Day does not make you ineligible to vote.

Generally, voters who move on Election Day or within ten days of the election will need to vote at their old polling place. At the poll book, they will announce their name and the address from which they just moved. These voters remain eligible to vote from their former address until they establish residency at their new address by residing there for ten days.

Students attending UW-Madison or Edgewood College choose between registering to vote at their campus address or at their parents’ home address. This is an individual decision.

Students who choose Madison as their voting residence are not likely to be in their housing for the 2018-2019 school year ten days before the August Primary. Generally, if the student lived here last semester, their voting address for August would be where they lived for the 2018 spring semester.

If you are unsure if you should vote from your old or new address, Clerk's Office personnel can assist you at any in-person absentee voting site. City of Madison residents can vote at any City of Madison Public Library location or Streets East starting on Monday, July 30.  In-person absentee voting extends to UW-Madison locations starting on Monday, August 6. Exact locations and times can be found here.

Freshmen are unlikely to move to campus early enough to establish residency for the August Primary. If they are 18 years old by August 14, they would be eligible to register and vote from their parents’ address.

Voters with questions about establishing residency are encouraged to contact the City Clerk’s Office at voting@cityofmadison.com or 608-266-4601.