I Voted, Have You?

Mukwonago Village Hall, scene of my early vote. I was going to wait until next Tuesday, but was spurred on by the theft of my Obama sign from the front yard. Take that you crafty thieves!

In Wisconsin, early voting is conducted through the absentee ballot. It was an easy process. I walked in, said "I want to vote."

The clerk checked the voter roles to make sure I was on it. (If you aren't, you can register AND vote in the same visit.) Next, she had me fill out a form, then fill out information on the envelope that will hold my ballot until next Tuesday.

I then received my ballot, and the clerk gave me a quick primer on how to select my choices by filling in the arrows with a black marker.

Off I went to my private polling station where I made my choices. I double checked it, then folded it in half and placed it in my envelope. When I returned it to the clerk, she glued it shut and put it in the vault for safe keeping.

Total time = 8 minutes! No long wait on Tuesday.

You can vote in the offices of municipal clerks until 5 p.m. Nov. 3, the day before the election. Some communities offering extended hours are Madison (8 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday to Thursday; 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Friday; 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday) and Milwaukee (8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. weekdays; 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday).

Any eligible voter can vote by absentee ballot. You no longer have to state a reason, such as being out of town on election day.

Click HERE for your Wisconsin early voting location

Click HERE to see the ballot before you vote