Election 2020: What you need to know about voter ID for Election Day | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Matt Martinez
November 2, 2020
The simplest form of ID to get on short notice is a state-issued identification card, which can be obtained from the Division of Motor Vehicles. (File photo by Andrea Waxman)
Wisconsin has some of the country’s strictest laws for voter identification.
Here’s what you need to know if you are voting.
Voters will need to present a valid form of photo ID at their polling place to vote in person on Election Day. The following items are considered valid forms of ID:
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The address on these forms of identification do not have to be current. Voters should try to have current photos on their IDs, but as long as the photos look reasonably like them, they should be accepted.
If you find yourself without one of these identification forms on Election Day, you can still cast a provisional ballot that will be counted if you present a valid form of identification to the city clerk’s office by 4 p.m. on Nov. 6.
The Milwaukee City Clerk’s Office is located at 200 E Wells St., Room 205.
The simplest form of ID to get on short notice is a state-issued identification card, which can be obtained from the Division of Motor Vehicles. If you find yourself needing that identification, you should seek it out as soon as possible after trying to place your ballot.
To find your local DMV, click this link.
To get a state-issued ID, you need to present a valid proof of residence, a proof of citizenship or legal status, proof of name and date of birth and a proof of identity to the Division of Motor Vehicles.
As the Wisconsin Elections Commission states, most people will be fine with a birth certificate, utility bill and Social Security card. Original versions of these documents have to be provided, however.
Here is a full list of documents that might be acceptable:
Voters in the military, that live permanently overseas or are classified as confidential electors do not need to present a photo ID to cast an absentee ballot. Indefinitely confined voters also do not need a photo ID to cast a ballot.
Indefinitely confined voters can apply for the status based on their own circumstance. Anyone who might have difficulty traveling outside of the home for an indefinite amount of time because of disability, age or infirmity can apply. This does not require permanent or total inability to travel outside the home.
To learn more about how to cast your ballot if you have disability, read our previous reporting.
There are also exemptions for religious reasons for those who wish not to be photographed, but these individuals will still need a state-issued ID.