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Voting News from the Disability Vote Coalition
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The Wisconsin Disability Vote Coalition is a non-partisan effort to help ensure full participation in the electoral
process of voters with disabilities.
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As of today March 26, the April 7 Spring Election and Presidential Preference Primary is occurring as scheduled. Are
you prepared? The Disability Vote Coalition has resources to help you participate! Please share this email - forward far and wide!
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New Video: How to Request an Absentee Ballot
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The Wisconsin Elections Commission and the Wisconsin Disability Vote Coalition highly recommend that people vote absentee
for the April 7th election to protect themselves from COVID-19. If you’ve never requested an absentee ballot before you may be a bit unsure of how to do it.
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Our new video will take you step by step through the process:
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Key takeaways from this video are:
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Make sure you are registered to vote. If you are not, online registration has been extended to March 30th. You
can register online at
myvote.wi.gov. Voters who need to register may also do so in person at their municipal clerk's office until the Friday before the election and on Election Day at the
polling place.
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Request your ballot as soon as possible but no later than April 2nd or April 3rd for “indefinitely confined”
voters. It is taking a long time for people to receive their ballot after they have made their request because of the sheer volume of requests municipalities are receiving.
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When requesting an absentee ballot, voters who are indefinitely confined due to age, illness, disability, or infirmity can self-certify that they are indefinitely confined.
This option does NOT require the voter to provide a photo ID with the application. According to the Wisconsin Election Commission: “During the current public health crisis, many voters of a certain age or in at-risk populations may meet that standard of indefinitely
confined until the crisis abates.” It is up to the voter to decide if they feel they are indefinitely confined due to any of those circumstances.
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Complete the ballot carefully and double check it before sending it back. Be sure to follow all the instructions. You will need a witness over the age of 18 and who is a U.S. citizen to sign your
envelope. If you are quarantined and having difficulty meeting this requirement for a witness, contact your clerk, the Wisconsin Election Commission, or DRW for assistance.
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Mail the ballot back as soon as possible. Ballots must be received by 8 pm on election day.
A postmark of April 7th is not enough for your vote to be counted. The U.S. Postal Service recommends mailing the ballot back at least one week before the election. That means you must request
your ballot right away!
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If you don’t have enough time to mail the ballot back, be prepared to drop it off in person. Contact your Municipal Clerk for guidance on where to drop off your ballot.
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If you still need assistance you can get help by calling the DRW Voter Hotline at 844-347-8683 or email
info@disabilityvote.org.
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Additional information and resources can be found at
disabilityvote.org/
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If you are voting in person on Election Day, your polling place may have changed. Be sure to check with your municipal clerk or on
myvote.wi.gov
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All ballots include the Presidential Primary and State Supreme Court.
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Your ballot may also include other judicial races (Court of Appeals, Circuit Court), local races, or local referendum
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All ballots include a statewide Referendum on Marsy’s law. It is a constitutional amendment which addresses rights of crime victims. Here are some resources for you to learn more:
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Take Our Voter Accessibility Survey:
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The Disability Vote Coalition is conducting a Voter Accessibility Survey to learn from voters with disabilities and
their allies about the accessibility of their voting experience for the April election. We want to hear from voters who participated in early in person voting, as well as those who voted at their polling place on April 7th. If you vote Absentee by mail, please
do not take the survey as it addresses accessibility at the polling place.
Take
the Voter Accessibility Survey for the April 2020 Election
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Questions? Contact these resources:
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