In-person absentee voting in Milwaukee begins Monday.
According to the Milwaukee Election Commission, voters in the city can cast ballots in person at the Zeidler Municipal Building, Midtown Center or Forest Home Library.
Voting at the Zeidler building begins Monday. Absentee voting at the other two locations starts Monday, Oct. 10 (For a full list of hours, click here).
Voters who spoke with TODAY’S TMJ4 are split on whether to vote early or wait to cast a ballot on Election Day.
“I’m definitely casting an early ballot,” said Debbie Gonzalez of Mequon. “I just want to make sure I get it in and it gets counted.”
Daniel Junk, of Milwaukee, said he prefers to wait until Election Day.
“I just think it’s important to take everything in first, before voting,” Junk said.
He said he believes he’s made up his mind regarding who to vote for in the Presidential race but is still studying other contests on the ballot.
“I want to make sure I know where all candidates stand on the issues,” Junk said.
Carla Ledesma, the Wauwatosa City Clerk, said state law allows absentee voters to change their minds and re-cast a ballot should they choose to do so.
According to Ledesma, an in-person absentee voter can be issued up to three ballots.
“You can come back into the clerk’s office, we retrieve your absentee ballot, we can spoil that ballot and then we re-issue you a new one,” Ledesma said. “The ballots are filed in ward order, and then alphabetically, so it’s fairly easy to find one."
She said voters at the polling place on Election Day also can be issued up to three ballots in case they make a mistake or have a last minute change of heart before they submit a completed one into the polling machine.
But once a ballot is turned in at the polling place, whether it’s absentee or cast the same day, it cannot be scrapped.
“It’s kind of like baseball. Three strikes and you’re out,” Ledesma said. “If you make a mistake on your third ballot, you don’t get to vote. But you did get three opportunities.
Absentee voting in Wauwatosa begins October 17 (For a list of hours, click here).
Ledesma said it’s important anyone wanting to vote absentee check with their local government regarding hours and locations, as they vary from one municipality to another. A recent federal court ruling allowed municipalities to set their own schedule for in-person, absentee voting.
Ledesma said voters can also request an absentee ballot by mail up until the Thursday before the election.
