Early voting begins in Wisconsin

Wisconsin voters who can't make it to the polls on November 4 can cast an early ballot starting today.

Registered voters who wish to vote by mail can request a ballot by 5 p.m. October 30. The completed ballot must be postmarked by November 4 and received in the Election Commission office by 4 p.m. November 7 to be counted.

Voters can also cast an in-person absentee ballot starting today through October 31.

In Milwaukee, voters can go to the Zeidler Municipal Building, 841 N. Broadway Street, between 8 a.m. and 7 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Registered voters can use the Market Street entrance. Residents who need to register to vote should enter on Broadway Street.

Registered voters do not need a photo ID to cast a ballot.

Residents who need to register to vote will need to bring proof of residency, such as a current driver's license or state ID card, a current residential lease, pay stub or utilities bill, for example.

New this year, there will be no early voting on the weekend.

The city has 15-minute designated parking for voters only near the Zeidler Building. The Milwaukee City Election Commissioner said there was a delay posting those signs, which caused issues for some.

\"It's really hard to access this building and so for folks who are even more impaired than I am, it may interfere with their constitutional right to vote,\" said voter Cindy Rowen. \"I'm really concerned about any attempts that are being made to suppress the vote here or anywhere else.\"

The election commission office hopes to have 1,000 to 1,500 early voters each day.

In 2012, there were 37,000 early voters. The goal this year is 20,000 to 25,000.

Wisconsin is a no-excuse absentee voting state, which means registered voters can in-person absentee vote simply for convenience.

If you want to exercise your right to vote early and need ride to the polls, just call 414-852-3245 to schedule one for free.