2024 Elections

Online and by mail: The request must be in the office of the municipal clerk no later than 5:00 p.m. on the *5th day preceding an election. 

In-person at the clerk's office: The last possible day for a clerk to conduct in-person absentee voting is the Sunday before the election.  Each municipal clerk's office sets its own schedule for in-person absentee voting.

Note: A person cannot request an absentee ballot in person and leave the clerk's office with the ballot. The ballot is either voted in the clerk's office, or the clerk must mail the ballot to the elector.

• The deadline for indefinitely confined electors and military electors (not-away) to request an absentee ballot is the 4th day before the election.
• For a federal election, the deadline for military electors who are away from their residence due to active duty to request an absentee ballot is 5:00 p.m. on election day.
• Special provisions are made for hospitalized electors and sequestered jurors to request and vote by absentee ballot on election day.  Wis. Stat. §§ 6.86(1)(b),(3)(a). 

An absentee ballot must be sent by the following dates to any voter with an absentee application on file.

• 47 days before a federal election
• 21 days before a primary or other election.  Wis. Stat. § 7.15(1))(cm). 
• When a request for an absentee ballot is made by mail, the absentee ballot must be mailed to the elector within one day of the request.
• Voters requesting an absentee ballot in person must cast the ballot in the clerk's office.  Voters cannot take the absentee ballot out of the clerk's office.

Special provisions are made for issuing absentee ballots to residents of a nursing home, qualifying retirement homes and community-based residential facilities. See our manual Absentee Voting in Residential Care Facilities and Retirement Homes.

Suppose the envelope has been opened or resealed, the signature of either the elector or the witness is missing, or the witness’ printed name or address is missing. In that case, the absentee ballot certificate envelope is insufficient, and the absentee ballot must be rejected.