(The Center Square) – Wisconsin’s election managers are telling voters who use the mail for voting to get ballots into the mail at least 10 days before Election Day, and more if out of state.
Primary Election Day is Aug. 11. The Wisconsin Elections Commission earlier this month published its best practices for absentee voting.
“Mail transit times vary,” the commission wrote. “Do not delay returning your completed absentee ballot. If a mailed ballot arrives after 8 p.m. on Election Day, it will not be counted.”
Many local election clerks in the state reported problems with late-arriving ballots during Wisconsin’s April election. In Milwaukee, 269 ballots arrived after Election Day and were not counted.
“The Wisconsin Elections Commission recommends putting your ballot in the mail at least 10 days before Election Day to ensure it is received in time,” the commission says. “Voters who are out-of-state may need more time to ensure timely return. If you return your absentee ballot through the mail the week before Election Day, there is a significant risk that your ballot may not be received and counted.”
If time becomes an issue, commissioners said voters should consider returning their absentee ballot to either a drop box, or to their clerk’s office.
The commission issued a “clarification” on July 10 saying voters will not get a do-over if a candidate drops out of the race.
“If a voter returns their voted ballot and later changes their mind about who they would like to vote for or because the candidate they originally voted for has dropped out of the race, this does not constitute an ‘accident or mistake,'” the commission said. “The ballot cannot be spoiled and reissued for any reason.”
Two Democrats, Missy Hughes and Sara Rodriguez, have dropped out of the race. Another, David Crowley, dropped out then returned to the race over the weekend.
