Election Day is finally here! Take a deep breath. And if you haven’t yet voted, don’t worry. Here’s what you need to know when you head to the polls.
How To Vote
Polls are open in Madison from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday. Find out where your polling location is here. Make sure to bring your ID! And if you don’t have transportation, Union Cab Cooperative will give you a ride for free.
Haven’t Registered To Vote?
Don’t worry. Wisconsin offers same-day voter registration. Just be sure to bring proof of residence along with that ID.
If You Hit a Snag
If you arrive at your polling place and don’t have the documentation required by law, you can still request a provisional ballot. The ballot will be marked but not counted, and you must provide the necessary information to the poll workers by close of polls Tuesday at 8 p.m. or to the municipal clerk’s office by 4 p.m. Friday, Nov. 8.
What’s On the Ballot?
SO much. In addition to the race for President and the U.S. Senate, there are U.S. House races, state legislative races, county races (including for Dane County Executive), local races, and three referendums in Madison – one from the city for its operating referendum and two from Madison Metropolitan School District. Oh, and a state constitutional amendment question.
U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin came on the City Cast Madison podcast to talk about why she is seeking a third term representing Wisconsin. (We also invited her opponent, Republican businessman Eric Hovde, to come on the podcast but it didn’t pan out.)
We talked to both Dane County Executive candidates, Melissa Agard and Dana Pellebon, about their visions for the county.
We also talked to MMSD Superintendent Joe Gothard about why he thinks those two school referendums, one for the district’s operating fund and one for its capital fund, are essential for the future of the district. We also talked to Cap Times K-12 education reporter Kayla Huynh about her perspective on the referendums, which total $607 million.
Isthmus reporter Liam Beran talked to us about the city’s $22 million operating referendum, the first time the city has gone to the voters for financial support.
We also talked to Cap Times political reporter Andrew Bahl about that constitutional question, which would change the language forbidding non-citizens from voting, and some key state legislative races.
When Can I Expect Election Results?
Polls close at 8 p.m., and results will start trickling in after that. If you want to be around other people, election watch parties are planned all over town, including at the UW Memorial Union.
Don’t expect to find out who Wisconsin chose for president before you go to bed tonight. Wisconsin law prohibits early votes from being processed until polls open Tuesday.
Election officials in Milwaukee, the state’s most populous city, are expecting to have to count 80,000 absentee ballots in addition to those cast on Election Day, and predict they won’t have full results out until at least midnight.
