City Clerk's Office

The City of Madison Clerk’s Office would like voters to know 12 things for this Tuesday’s election:

1. Many polling locations have changed since April.  Before heading out to vote, verify your polling location at www.cityofmadison.com/WhereDoIVote.
2. You may vote in only one political party’s primary on the August ballot.  This Tuesday, three political parties will narrow down their candidates for the November Election.  You are limited to voting in the primary of only one political party of your choice.  To mark your ballot, choose a political party, find that party’s section on the ballot, and vote for individual candidates in that party.
3. For this type of primary, voting in multiple parties invalidates the ballot.  This is called cross-over voting.  Choose one party and vote for individual candidates within that party. 
4. If you make a mistake, you can get a replacement ballot.  You are entitled to up to 2 replacement ballots.  When you ask the poll workers for a new ballot, they will have you partially tear the original ballot and place it in a discarded ballot envelope.
5. Your voter registration is not associated with a political party.  The Clerk’s Office does not have a record of which party you prefer.  Nobody will be able to identify which ballot was marked by you.  You vote on a secret ballot.
6. If you moved since July 14, vote from the address you lived at for 28 consecutive days prior to Election Day.  It takes 28 days to establish residency for voting purposes.  If you move within 28 days of an election, you should vote from your previous address.  College students just now returning to Madison after being temporarily away this summer may be voting from the campus address they had last spring.  Contact the Clerk’s Office if you are unsure of where you are eligible to vote.
7. Curbside voting is available at the curb of your polling place, by the large Vote Here feather flag.  Curbside voting is available at every election for voters unable to enter the polling location due to health issues or disabilities.
8. The address on your Voter ID does not matter.  When checking Voter ID, poll workers are only verifying your identity.  They are not checking the address on your ID.
9. Don’t let a lack of Voter ID keep you from going to the polls.  Voters without acceptable ID may vote provisionally.  Provisional voters have until 4:00pm Friday, Aug. 14, to get a copy of their ID to the Clerk’s Office.  The Dane County Voter ID Coalition can help you obtain a free Wisconsin ID.  Their hotline is (608) 285-2141.
10. There is no requirement that your Voter ID meet federal REAL ID requirements.  If you renewed your Wisconsin driver license or Wisconsin ID and did not have all the certified documents required for a REAL ID, the DMV would have informed you that your new ID is “non-compliant” with the REAL ID Act of 2005.  Even if your Wisconsin ID says “Not for federal purposes,” it is acceptable for proving your identity at the polls.
11. Certain types of Voter ID can be expired.  If you are using a Wisconsin driver license, a Wisconsin ID, a U.S. passport, or a military ID to prove your identity at the polls, the ID can have an expiration date of 11/07/2018 or later.
12. Do not hesitate to contact the Clerk’s Office.  If you have a question or encounter a problem at your polling place, please let us know right away at voting@cityofmadison.com or (608) 266-4601.