Every election matters and impacts our lives. Wisconsinites will go to the polls in August and November to vote for representatives at the state and national levels. Do your research and make your plan to vote. Democracy is stronger when everyone votes!
Election Schedule for 2026
Fall Primary Election – August 11
Fall General Election – November 3
Note that in the primary you may only vote for candidates in one party.
What’s on the ballot? Everyone in WI will vote for:
Governor, Lt Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of State, Treasurer
Some people in WI will vote for:
US Congressional Seats, WI State Senate, WI State Assembly, Sheriff
Voting Absentee
You may request your absentee ballot every year for specific elections or the entire year, starting on January 1. Go to myvote.wi.gov to place your request.
There are several ways to cast your ballot absentee.
Mail in your ballot, making sure there is ample time (at least two weeks) for the clerk’s office to receive your ballot by end of day on election day.
Place your ballot in a secure drop box; they are located at all fire stations in Madison and are emptied every evening at 5:00 PM.
Bring your ballot to any early voting site in Madison. In-person absentee voting begins two weeks before Election Day and ends the Sunday before each election. Check the city clerk’s website for locations and hours as the election gets closer. https://www.cityofmadison.com/clerk/elections-voting/voting.
Bring your ballot to your polling place on election day.
If you request an absentee ballot and decide not to use it, you may go and vote in person; be sure to let the poll workers know that you are not using the ballot that was mailed to you.
Convenient Northside early in person voting locations and hours for the primary election:
Warner Park Community Recreation Center – 1625 Northport Dr.
9 a.m. – 7 p.m. weekdays, July 28 – August 7
9 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. Saturdays, August 1 and August 8
Sherman Ave. UMC Church – 3705 N Sherman Ave.
9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Sunday, August 2
Make your plan to vote.
Visit the League of Women Voters website for a complete voting checklist:
https://my.lwv.org/wisconsin/voter-information
Make sure you are registered at your current address at myvote.wi.gov.
Request your absentee ballot if you wish at myvote.wi.gov.
Review your ballot before you go to vote.
Learn about the candidates and the issues.
Confirm your polling place on Election Day at myvote.wi.gov.
Make sure you have an ID for voting purposes.
Make a plan to vote and remind your friends and family members to vote.
Eligibility
To register to vote, you must:
be a U.S. citizen
be at least 18 years of age on the date of the next election
finished serving sentence, including probation/parole if convicted of a felony (be off paper)
be a resident of Madison at least 28 days before election day
Voter Registration – When you register you must prove your address.
Registration is open until 5:00 pm 20 days before an election. You may register at your local public library. Wisconsin requires 28 days to establish residency at a new address. When registering, you must present Proof of Residence, a document showing your current name at your current address. You may also register and vote on election day – be sure to have proof of residence and photo ID with you.
Proof of Address
When registering to vote, you need to present – in paper or electronic format – one of the following, showing your name and current address:
Unexpired WI driver license/ID card
Utility bill from the last 90 days
Government-issued document or check
Bank or credit union statement
Paycheck stub
Visit the City of Madison Clerk website for a complete list.
Voter ID – When you vote you must prove your identity.
Your photo ID does not need to show a current address. Voters without ID may vote provisionally (meaning you can vote but then must produce your ID by the Friday after election day in order for it to be counted). Wisconsin accepts the following forms of ID for voting:
WI driver license or ID
US passport
Military ID card
Certificate of naturalization issued within last 2 years
WI Tribal ID card
Unexpired veterans affairs ID card
WI accredited university/college ID with issuance date, signature, and expiration within 2 years of issuance along with proof of current enrollment
If you do not have an acceptable ID for voting, the Dane County Voter ID Coalition can help you and can arrange a ride to the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). Their hotline is 608-285-2141. https://www.voteridwisconsin.org/.
My Vote WI – Register online if you have a valid, unexpired Wisconsin driver license or Wisconsin ID, and your address on file with the DMV matches the address at which you are registering to vote. If the DMV does not have your current address on file, update your address on the DMV website before updating your voter registration at http://myvote.wi.gov. Use the MyVote website to:
• Verify your registration and update your address
• Register to vote completely online if your address is up to date with the DMV
• Look up your polling location
• Find out what will be on your ballot
• Request your absentee ballot
Check the Madison City Clerk’s website for all voting information:
https://www.cityofmadison.com/clerk/elections-voting
