What you need to know to vote in Milwaukee’s special election on April 5 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Matt Martinez
March 15, 2022
Milwaukee’s special election is April 5. Early voting at polling places will be held from March 22 to April 2 at locations around the city. (NNS file photo by Adam Carr)
Milwaukee has a special election coming up on April 5 to determine the city’s next mayor. Here’s what you need to know to cast your ballot.
Make a plan to vote
To find out more about the election, visit MyVote Wisconsin’s website, an online tool from the Wisconsin Elections Commission. There, you can find detailed information about where to find your nearest polling place and what’s on your ballot.
You can also find information to register to vote and to send an absentee ballot.
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Register to vote
The deadline to register by mail, at Milwaukee Public Library locations and online is March 16.
To register by mail, download and print the Voter Registration Application. Fill out the application and send it, along with a copy of your proof of residence, to:
City of Milwaukee Election Commission
200 E. Wells St., Room 501
Milwaukee, WI 53202
Applications to register by mail will need to be postmarked ahead of the March 16 deadline.
To register online, you must have your current residence information updated with the Division of Motor Vehicles. You can update your residence information on its website.
Then, you can go to MyVote Wisconsin and select the Register to Vote option.
To register at a Milwaukee Public Library location, visit any of the locations listed on this page. Staff at the locations will be available to help during the hours listed.
You can also register to vote in person on Election Day at your nearest polling place. You will need a proof of residence. Same-day voters have to live in their current place of residence for at least 28 days before voting in person with no intent to relocate.
You can find more information, including a list of acceptable proof of residence documents, on the City of Milwaukee’s Register to Vote page.
Absentee voting
In order to vote absentee, you have to be registered to vote and provide the election commission with a copy of your photo ID to keep on file. You can send a copy of your photo ID with your request for the ballot, if you have not already provided it.
You have to request your ballot by 5 p.m. on the Thursday before an election. That’s March 31 for this election.
Indefinitely confined voters, meaning those who cannot vote in person because of age, illness, infirmity and disability, are not required to provide a photo ID.
To vote absentee, you need to request a ballot from the election commission. You can do so in the following ways:
By mail – Download the Absentee Ballot Application from the city’s webpage and print it. Once you’ve completed the application, mail it to:
City of Milwaukee Election Commission
200 E. Wells St., Room 501
Milwaukee, WI 53202
By email – Send an email to absenteeballot@milwaukee.gov with your completed Absentee Ballot Application and photo ID.
If you have not completed the application, you can send an email with the following:
Online – Visit MyVote Wisconsin and choose the Vote Absentee by Mail option.
By fax – You can fax your Absentee Ballot Application and a copy of your photo ID to 414-286-8445.
Early voting
Early voting for the spring election will last from March 22 to April 2. Voters can register to vote at early voting locations but will only be able to register until April 1.
Here are the locations and hours you can do so:
Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and weekends from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.:
The following library locations will be open for early voting Monday through Friday from noon to 5 p.m. and on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Things to keep in mind on Election Day
When voting at a polling place on Election Day, you’ll need to state your full name and street address and bring a photo ID with you. Election workers will also ask you to sign the poll book.