Wisconsin officials advise dropping absentee ballots off in person, or risk vote not counting

MADISON, Wis. (CBS 58/AP) -- We are now only seven days away from Election Day, and election officials across the state are urging voters to get your absentee ballot in the mail immediately, or risk your vote not counting. 

Area clerks say if you don't get your ballot into a post office by Tuesday, Oct. 27, the safest way to make sure your vote counts is to bring it in person to a ballot drop-off location. 

“At this point, since it’s getting so close, it would be advisable for people to drop those off," Waukesha City Clerk Gina Kozlick said. "We do have a 24-hour drop box at the city of Waukesha.”

The legal deadline to request an absentee ballot is Thursday, Oct. 29 at 5 p.m., but the Wisconsin Elections Commission says it's very possible the post office won't be able to get it to voters in time to drop off by Election Day. 

“The post office says it takes up to seven days for them to get a letter from point A to point B," Wisconsin Elections Commission spokesman Reid Magney said. "Today is one week from Election Day.”

A ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court Monday, means ballots will not be accepted if they aren't in a clerk's possession by 8 p.m. on Nov. 3. 

You also need to make sure you give clerks enough time to pick up your ballot from the drop box on Election Day. Milwaukee Elections Commission Director Claire Woodall-Vogg said in Milwaukee, that deadline is 7:30 on Nov. 3.

"This really solidifies that voters shouldn’t delay. If you are holding onto your ballot, go ahead and take it to a drop box, so you can check on MyVote, to make sure we’ve received it, and it’s going to be counted next Tuesday," Woodall-Vogg said. 

There are still 320,000 outstanding absentee ballots statewide. 

Not all cities have drop boxes. Clerks recommend checking with your local government on your voting options to make sure your plan will work.