Election Day · Tuesday, November 3, 2026
How to vote in Wisconsin
The deadlines, early voting, mail ballots and ID rules for Wisconsin, and what happens after the polls close. Every fact links to the Wisconsin Elections Commission or the law it comes from. Rules change, and courts sometimes change them close to an election, so confirm anything you are relying on with the state.
Checked against official sources on October 8.
Key dates
- Register online by
Wednesday, October 14
Online registration closes at 11:59 p.m. Wednesday, October 14.
- Register by mail by
Wednesday, October 14
Postmarked by October 14, the third Wednesday before the election (Wis. Stat. § 6.28(1)).
- Register in person by
Friday, October 30
5 p.m. (or close of business, if later) Friday, October 30 at your municipal clerk's office. After that, register at your polling place on Election Day.
- Same-day registration
Yes
After the mail and online deadline, voters can register in person at the clerk's office or at their polling place on Election Day, with proof of residence.
- Early voting
Tuesday, October 20 to Sunday, November 1
Clerks may begin no earlier than 14 days before the election; local start dates vary.
- How early voting works
In-person absentee voting starts as early as October 20 and ends by Sunday, November 1. Days, hours and locations are set by each municipal clerk; check MyVote. Bring a photo ID.
- Request a mail ballot by
Thursday, October 29
Received, not postmarked: the request must be in the municipal clerk's office by 5 p.m. on the fifth day before the election (Thursday, October 29).
- Return your mail ballot by
Tuesday, November 3
Received, not postmarked: absentee ballots must be in the hands of election officials by 8 p.m. on Election Day to be counted.
- Election Day polling hours
7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Voting by mail
- Who can vote by mail
Any voter can vote by mail
Any qualified, registered voter can vote absentee by mail. You must include a photocopy of your photo ID with your first request, with exceptions for military, overseas and indefinitely confined voters.
- Ballots arriving after Election Day
Not counted — your ballot must arrive by the deadline
Ballots must be received by 8 p.m. on Election Day.
ID at the polls
- The rule
Photo ID required
An acceptable photo ID is required to vote at the polls or in person absentee. A voter without one can vote provisionally and must show ID by the Friday after the election (not on the page read).
- What to bring
Show an acceptable photo ID, unexpired or expired after the most recent general election: a Wisconsin driver's license or state ID card, a U.S. military ID, a U.S. passport and others on the state's list. A free state ID card for voting is available from the DMV.
When will we know results in Wisconsin?
How fast results come in depends mostly on when the polls close and when election officials are allowed to start on mail ballots. Totals shown on election night are unofficial until the state certifies them.
- Last polls close
8 p.m. Central time — 9 p.m. Eastern
- Mail ballots can be processed from
Tuesday, November 3
Absentee ballots are not processed before Election Day. Municipalities with a central count convene any time after polls open on Election Day; others canvass absentee ballots at the polling places (§ 7.52(1)(a), § 6.88).
- Mail ballots can be counted from
Tuesday, November 3
Counting also begins on Election Day after the polls open.
- Counties finish their count by
Tuesday, November 10
County boards of canvassers begin examining returns by 9 a.m. Tuesday, November 10 (§ 7.60(3)).
- State certifies results
Tuesday, December 1
The Elections Commission chair certifies on or before December 1 (§ 7.70(3)(a)).
- Automatic recount
None
The Elections Commission says there is no automatic recount.
- Requested recount
1% or less (races over 4,000 votes)
A trailing candidate may petition if behind by 1% or less of the total votes for the office (40 votes or fewer in races with 4,000 or fewer votes). No fee if the margin is 0.25% or less (or under 10 votes); otherwise the petitioner pays the actual cost (Wis. Stat. § 9.01).
- Runoff
No runoff — the candidate with the most votes wins
Wis. Stat. 5.01(3)(a), "Plurality shall elect": in every election to choose any officer, "the person receiving the greatest number of legal votes for the office shall be declared elected." No general-election runoff.
- Ranked-choice voting
Not used
Wis. Stat. 5.01(3)(a) makes the person with the greatest number of legal votes the winner in every election to choose an officer, with ties settled by lot (5.01(4)); it provides no ranked-choice tabulation.
- Votes needed to pass a ballot measure
A simple majority
Simple majority. Amendments take effect if approved 'by a majority of the electors voting thereon' (Art. XII, § 1).
What’s on your ballot
Every contest you will vote on, from Congress to school board, with each candidate’s positions and record and the arguments for and against them.
Confirm this with the official source
Your ballot is determined by your election authority, not by us. Verify your registration, precinct, and sample ballot at Wisconsin Elections Commission.