How to vote in the Wisconsin Primary...

[twobrewers]

Ok, so I am way to old to say that I have never voted before - but well, I haven't.

 

I've never registered to vote. And obviously, I never voted.

 

I would like to be able to vote in the Wisconsin Primary next week. (Notice how I am not mentioning any candidates because I don't want to turn this into a political thread!) I just want to know what I have to do.

 

I found my polling place online. But do I need to register before hand? Or can I just show up to my polling place, based on where I live - and vote?

 

Any help is appreciated.

[bjkrautk]

You can show up at the polling place (in Wisconsin) in order to vote....but....you have to bring with you something to validate your address (piece of delivered mail showing your name and address).

 

Thank you for keeping this apolitical, BTW.

[jaybird2001wi]

It is fairly easy to register to vote. I have registered to vote in two different cities (once in Whitewater when I was a student at the old Armory building and also once in my hometown, Racine. I even voted absentee a few times when I began my schooling at UW-W and lived in the dorms.)

All you need is a photo ID (State ID preferred 99 percent of the time), a utility bill (electric, etc.) or if you don't have a utility bill, you can bring in a cell phone bill with the address. It also helps to know your polling place because sometimes people get confused and go to a different polling place. But I was ineligible to vote in Racine during one primary election (sometime in April) because I recently voted for President in 2004 in Whitewater and still had an address in Whitewater, so be careful when changing addresses and know your living situation timetable.

[drezdn]

Just make sure to only vote for candidates for one party or the other, otherwise, at best the machine will spit out your ballot, at worst, it just won't be counted.

[Fatter than Joey]

I would really recommend registering ahead of time. You can register at the polls, but given the expected turnout, I'd do it now, so you can ask questions and take your time, and really understand whats going on, and not be at the mercy of a swamped poll-worker.

 

Wisconsin is an open primary state -- so you can vote in either, but only one of the races. Make sure you think that through, as there may be local GOP primaries (e.g.) you want to vote but vote nationally for the DEM candidate -- you can't do that. You can only vote in all GOP races or all DEM races.

 

For example, my father-in-law was a local politician in the party opposite of the one I was registered in, so a lot of times if I wanted to vote for my father-in-law, I couldn't participate in the national primary that I wanted to -- so I had to make a choice as to who needed my vote more.

 

I know you didn't ask about this -- but there seems to be a lot of confusion as to how primaries work, hopefully this helps someone out.

[Blancofan1]

Where online to you find the location of your polling place?

 

Is it bad that I now live in Menomonee Falls, but never changed the address on my drivers liscence--basically, if I bring my id with my old address and a utility bill with my new address in the falls, will I be able to register and vote?

 

Thanks for the insight.

[BrewCrewForever]

So you can't vote for one of the republicans and one of the democrats? Only one person total?

[jaybird2001wi]

Whenever I voted in Presidential and local elections, I didn't check off a total one party vote. I sometimes mixed my votes between the GOP and DNC.

[PeaveyFury]

In Wisconsin primaries, (and only primaries), you have to vote straight ticket. E.G., if you vote for a Dem, you can only vote for other Dems.

[dadofandrew]

It is insanely easy to register in WI, and that's why there is often some "odd" results in the Milwaukee region, fraud is not difficult at all. If you go during a peak time, you might want to register ahead, but if you're there on a day off or whatever, I would not bother. Takes like 60 seconds.

[pitchleague]

Just make sure to only vote for candidates for one party or the other, otherwise, at best the machine will spit out your ballot, at worst, it just won't be counted.

I've never heard of a machine not accepting your vote for this. Is this new? Is this on the new computerized booths?

edit: And. . . . . I'm a dumbknob for not reading the whole thread first. My apologies.

 

 

 

 

[Fatter than Joey]

Whenever I voted in Presidential and local elections, I didn't check off a total one party vote. I sometimes mixed my votes between the GOP and DNC.

 

Your vote got tossed then. You CANNOT do this -- or I should say if you do, it gets tossed if you do it in a primary.

 

In the general election you can vote for people from any party -- not in a primary.

 

So you can't vote for one of the republicans and one of the democrats? Only one person total?

 

Correct -- you can't vote for both McCain and Clinton, for example, and you can't vote for Clinton and then the local GOP guy running for sheriff or some local office.

[jaybird2001wi]

It is quite possible to vote twice in Wisconsin. I remember hearing a story of an Illinois college student attending a University of Wisconsin school receiving an absentee ballot from its home county in Illinois and still able to register in the college town he/she attended.

[Fatter than Joey]

It is quite possible to vote twice in Wisconsin.

 

This is not correct -- Perhaps it could be said "it is possible to vote in multiple states". Different states have different rules, and qualifiers for voting.

[dadofandrew]

With absentee rules being so loose, it is quite easy to cheat in that way, especially for college students or if you work in a state other than where you live. I'm sure it's kind of easy to cheat in WI, all you need is a utility bill...my wife can fix one up for you in 5 minutes. Does anyone know what happens if you vote, and then another person claiming to be you shows up?

 

Suppposedly, many times in high fraud areas, people watch the obits and send people to vote with that name and utility bill. I would much prefer a picture ID...it too can be faked, but at least it takes some skill.

[PlayerHader]

Alright, I'm in college yet in Stevens Point. I have voted with absentee ballots before in my hometown, but it is probably too late to do that now. I want to vote on Tuesday, but won't be living in Point next year. I'll probably be in Wausau. Will I have any problem registering here for Tuesday and re-registering somewhere else for November?

[dadofandrew]

None.