Still confused about voting on Nov. 6?
Don’t worry.
Although the state Legislature passed some newregulations, voting in Wisconsin is pretty simple.
You do not need a photo ID to vote.
Let me repeat that: You do not need a photo ID tovote.
That said, you do need to know a few things beforeyou head to the polls.
Some tips:
- Check your registration status: Go the My VoteWisconsin site and check out your voting status and polling place. Click on “regularvoter,” then type in your information on the next page. The next page will listyour address, registration information, and other stuff. If this page says“active” on the status line, and it lists your current address—otherwise knownas the address at which you lived on Oct. 10, 2012—you’re good to go. If theinformation is incorrect or out of date, you’ll need to register at the poll onTuesday. If you moved after Oct. 10, you need to vote at your pre-Oct. 10 residence in order to fulfill the state's new 28-day residency rule.
- Find your polling place: Once you’re in yourpersonal page in the My Vote Wisconsin website, click on Election and PollingPlace Info on the left side of the screen to find your polling place. (It mayhave changed since the last time you voted.)
- Check out your sample ballot: Once you’re in yourpersonal page in the My Vote Wisconsin website, click on Sample Ballot on theleft side of the screen to review the candidates on the ballot. Since the legislative districts were revised this year, you may have new electedofficials representing you.
- Register: You need to register to vote if youare not registered at your current address (your Oct. 10 address) or if yourname has changed since you last voted. You do not need a photo ID to register to vote, butyou will need at least one (and perhaps more) documents to prove your identityand residence. Here’s a list of documents you can use to prove your residence. To be on the safe side, take a few documents with you.
- If you have been convicted of a felony: If you havebeen convicted of a felony, you can vote once you have served all terms of yoursentence, including probation or parole or supervision. If you have beencharged with a felony but you have not been convicted by the time Election Dayrolls around, you can vote. If you have been convicted of a misdemeanor, youcan vote. You never lose your voting rights simply because you have committed amisdemeanor—even if you are serving your sentence on Election Day. Here’s someinformation for you from the Government Accountability Board and ACLU ofWisconsin. Feel free to call WisconsinElection Protection (1-866-OUR-VOTE) for assistance.
- Take a deep breath and don’t worry: Poll workers areprepared for many new voters on Nov. 6 and they will walk you through theprocess. Hang in there, because once you’re registered, you will be able tovote on Election Day.
Some helpful links:
- My Vote Wisconsin: Website or Toll-FreeVoter Help Line at 1-866-VOTE-WIS
- City of Milwaukee Election Commission: Website or 286-VOTE
- ACLU of Wisconsin’s Voting Rights Information
- Wisconsin Election Protection: On Facebook or 1-866-OUR-VOTE
Now, on to the next big question: Who will get yourvote?
The Shepherd Express proudly endorsed President BarackObama, U.S. Senate candidate Tammy Baldwin, Congresswoman Gwen Moore,Congressional hopeful Rob Zerban, and the Democrats running for the stateLegislature. Remember—you can no longer vote a straight-party ticket on the ballot. Vote for each office on the ballot.
Take a look at our endorsements, then vote!
