WISCONSIN — The November deadlines for absentee ballots are approaching, so if you haven't returned your ballot yet, you better act fast.
The Wisconsin Election Commission says they have issued over 1.4 million absentee ballots. However, of those, only one million have been returned.
If you're one of those 400,000 people who have not returned their ballot, you might want to act fast. In order for your vote to count, your ballot must be received by 8 p.m. on Election Day. After that, your ballot will be discarded.
“Your ballot must arrive by Election Day to be counted and the US Postal Service says it can take up to seven days for a letter to arrive, so if you’re planning to mail your ballot back, you should mail it back as soon as possible," said Meagan Wolfe, administrator for the Wisconsin Elections Commission, in a statement.
If you still need to request your absentee ballot, or if you want to see if your ballot has been sent or received, you can visit MyVote.Wi.Gov.
If you feel you do not have enough time to vote absentee by mail, you can also vote absentee in person at your municipality building.
“We want citizens to choose the option for voting that works best for them, but time is running out. For voters who choose to vote absentee by mail, we want to be sure they have the information they need to navigate that process,” said Wolfe. “Of course, every voter who is eligible to vote in the state can also vote early or in-person on election day.”
When it comes to specific deadlines, here's what you should know:
- Tuesday, Oct. 27: practical deadline for returning an absentee ballot by mail. According to the Wisconsin Election Commission, the US Postal Service recommends allowing one week for your completed absentee ballot to be delivered to your municipal clerk’s office.
- Thursday, Oct. 29: The legal deadline for requesting an absentee ballot by mail. This is the last possible date you can request an absentee ballot unless you request it and fill it out in person.
- Friday, Oct. 29: The final day you can register to vote.
- Sunday, Nov. 1: The final day municipalities can allow early, in-person voting.
- Tuesday, Nov. 3: Election day. Polls are open from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m. and voters who are returning an absentee ballot to their polling place must get it there by 8 p.m.