MADISON – Due to safety concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Wisconsin Elections Commission (WEC) will not be sending special voting deputies to care facilities to administer voting for the Nov. 3 general election.

Instead, the WEC will mail the absentee ballots to the residents. Once the residents vote the ballot, a witness will need to sign it and return the ballot by mail to participate. There may be residents who need to register to vote or update their voter registration to reflect their current name or address. Also, residents without an active absentee ballot request on file with their municipal clerk will have to submit one before a ballot will be mailed to them.

The WEC asks care center residents, families, and administrators to be mindful of these deadlines:

Voter registration deadline (online or by mail): This Wednesday (Oct. 14). Care facility residents wanting to cast a ballot need to register ASAP. After this deadline, voter registration must take place in-person, either in the municipal clerk’s office or at the polling place on election day.
Absentee request deadline: Thursday, Oct. 29 (for regular voters). Friday, Oct. 30 (for votes who self-certify they are “indefinitely confined” due to age, illness, infirmity, or disability).
Absentee return deadline: State law requires that all ballots must be returned by 8 p.m. on Election Day (Nov. 3) to be counted. Ballots can be returned by mail, delivered in-person to the clerk’s office, or other secure ballot drops for an individual voter’s municipality.

Care facility administrators or staff members may assist residents with voting. This includes helping residents fill out their ballots or certificate envelopes, completing voter registration forms or absentee requests, signing the special certificate envelope (EL-122sp), and witnessing ballots.

For more information or help with questions and concerns, call the WEC at 608-266-8005 or email elections@wi.gov.