Wisconsin

Registered voters in Wisconsin need to show a photo ID to confirm their identity at the polls.

Any registered Wisconsin voter can vote absentee. A copy of your photo ID must accompany your first absentee ballot request.

Wisconsin ID Requirements for Voting In Person

ACCEPTABLE PHOTO IDS

You can use the following IDs if they show your name and photo.

OK if unexpired or expired after November 8, 2022:

  • Wisconsin driver’s license
  • Wisconsin state ID
  • Military ID
  • US Passport

Other forms of acceptable ID:

  • Veterans Affairs Card (can be unexpired or without expiration date)
  • Wisconsin Tribal ID card (can be unexpired or expired)
  • Certificate of Naturalization (issued within 2 years prior to date of election)
  • Wisconsin DMV ID Petition Process Photo Receipt (see first FAQ below)

Student ID:

  • Must be from university, college, technical college accredited by Wisconsin
  • Must show your signature
  • Must show date of issuance and expiration date
  • Must expire within 2 years of issuance date
  • IF CARD IS EXPIRED: you must also show proof of enrollment (examples: tuition fee receipt, course schedule)

If you do not have one of the IDs listed above, you are eligible to receive a free Wisconsin state ID card to vote.

 


 

Voter ID Information Cards

Wisconsin Voter ID Information cards are available in: English and Spanish.

Frequently Asked Questions

If you do not have a photo ID that is acceptable for voting, you can get a Wisconsin state ID to vote for free with one visit to the Wisconsin Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV). You must:

  • be a U.S. citizen
  • be at least 18 years of age by the next election.

Just check the “ID for FREE” box when completing the Wisconsin Identification Card application (MV3004).

To get a free ID card, you will need to take a few documents to a DMV office, including:

  • Proof of Name and Date of Birth (such as birth certificate)
  • Proof of Identity (Social Security card, Medicaid/Medicare Card, etc.)
  • Wisconsin Residency (utility bill, government mail, lease, etc.)
  • Proof of U.S. Citizenship (U.S. birth certificate or citizenship paperwork)
  • Social Security number if you have one.

If you have all the documents, the DMV will issue you a Wisconsin Identification Card receipt and mail your State ID card to you. The Identification Card receipt will have your picture and can be used for voting for 45 days.

If you do not have all of these documents, just bring what you have to the DMV office. DMV will give you a temporary ID document to vote while they verify your information. More information about the petition process for the Wisconsin ID card for voting purposes can be found here.

The DMV will mail your temporary receipt, marked “FOR VOTING PURPOSES ONLY,” within six working days after you apply.

BUT: If you file your petition at the DMV within 7 days before or 2 days after a statewide election, the DMV will issue your receipt within 24 hours and deliver the receipt by overnight or next-day mail.

You can use the receipt for voting for 60 days. The Wisconsin DMV will either issue you a permanent State ID card or continue to issue new receipts for 60-day periods while it reviews your application for a permanent State ID. To continue receiving new receipts every 60 days while the DMV verifies your information, you must respond to their requests for additional information within 10 days.

VoteRiders can help you apply for a free ID and secure any documents that you need. Get free help now!

Registered voters in Wisconsin must show a photo ID to confirm their identity at the polls.

If you are a registered voter but do not present a valid ID at the polling place, you may cast a provisional ballot.

In order for your ballot to be counted, you must provide acceptable ID before the polls close on Election Day or by 4:00 p.m. on the Friday following the election at the municipal clerk’s office. Find your local municipal clerk’s office.

You do not need a “REAL ID” to vote in Wisconsin.

Your driver’s license or state ID card will show a gold star if it meets REAL ID requirements under federal law.

Get in touch with VoteRiders if you have questions or need free help securing ID.

You may register to vote and cast a ballot on the same day only on Election Day at your local polling place.

You must present a Proof of Residence Document, which includes your name and address such as the following in order to register to vote:

  • A current and valid State of Wisconsin Driver License or State ID card or other official ID card or license issued by a Wisconsin governmental body
  • Any ID card (though not a a business card) issued by your employer in the normal course of business and showing your photo
  • A real estate tax bill or receipt for the current year or the year preceding the date of the election
  • A university, college, or technical college ID card (must include photo) ONLY if you provide a fee receipt dated within the last 9 months or the institution provides a certified housing list to the municipal clerk
  • A gas, electric, or telephone service statement (utility bill) for the period starting no earlier than 90 days before Election Day
  • Bank or credit card statement
  • Paycheck or paystub
  • A check or other document issued by a unit of government
  • If you are experiencing homelessness, a letter on public or private social service agency letterhead identifying you and describing your residence for voting purposes
  • Residential lease that is effective on date of registration
  • An intake document from a residential care facility such as a nursing home or assisted living facility

You must also show acceptable photo ID to vote.

No. Currently, there is no provision under Wisconsin election law that allows for the use of electronic photo ID to be presented at the polling place. Your identification document must be the original, be it a driver’s license, passport, VA card, etc. Note that when you register to vote, your proof of residence documents can be in an electronic format.

Wisconsin ID Requirements for Voting By Mail

Any registered Wisconsin voter can vote absentee. A copy of your photo ID must accompany your first absentee ballot request.

Registered voters may request an absentee ballot for one election or all elections in a calendar year by making a request to their municipal clerk’s office. You may also make your absentee ballot request online, including providing a copy of your photo ID.

Frequently Asked Questions

Any registered Wisconsin voter can vote absentee. No excuse is required.

If you have not previously provided a copy of your acceptable photo ID with a prior absentee ballot application, a copy of your photo ID must accompany your first absentee ballot request.

Indefinitely confined voters, confidential voters, and military and permanent overseas voters do not need to provide a photo ID with their absentee ballot request.

Any form of ID that works for voting in person will be accepted. Here’s the list.

No, but one adult witness must sign the absentee certificate envelope and provide their address. Such witness must be a U.S. citizen unless you are a military or overseas voter.

Get in touch with VoteRiders if you have questions, need a copy of your ID or free help securing ID.

If you submit a defective absentee ballot—

  • Wisconsin municipal clerks are not required to contact voters to inform them that their ballot was rejected, but the clerks have the discretion to do so. If a clerk receives an absentee ballot with an improper certificate or no certificate, the clerk may return the ballot whenever there is sufficient time for you to correct the defect and return your ballot before the deadline.
  • You should check the My Vote Wisconsin website for the status of your ballot.
  • You may submit a replacement ballot, provided it is received by the municipal clerk’s office or polling place no later than 8 p.m. on Election Day. You should check with your municipal clerk’s office to confirm the deadline and proper location to return ballots. In municipalities that use the central count method of processing absentee ballots, you should deliver your ballot to the central count location.

 


 

Watch: “Voter ID in Wisconsin – What You Need to Know”

 

 


 

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