Voting, Step By Step
Wis. Stat. 6.28 — registration closes on the 3rd Wednesday preceding the election, by mail, online or in person
The 3rd Wednesday. Except as other sections allow, in person registration for an election closes at 5 p.m. on the 3rd Wednesday before it. Registrations by mail are delivered or postmarked by that day, and electronic registration closes at 11:59 p.m. that day.
At the polls. The municipal clerk or board of election commissioners may assign election registration officials to register electors at a polling place on election day.
Proof of identification. Before receiving a ballot, each elector states a full name and address and presents proof of identification. The officials verify that the name matches the poll list and that any photograph reasonably resembles the elector, and the elector signs the poll list unless exempt.
Absentee and early voting, and what a provisional ballot needs in order to be counted, are set out in other sections that are not on this page. Whether a particular person is registered is a question for the local election office.
Sources for this section (2)
- Wis. Stat. 6.28 — Where and when to register
- Wis. Stat. 6.79 — Proof of identification at the polls
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of September 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Wisconsin attorney.