City street leading towards the Wisconsin Capitol Building in the distance, with cars driving and parked on the street, flanked by full, green trees.
Clerk's Office

Vote Absentee

The Clerk's Office mails out absentee ballots 47 days before each federal election. It mails out absentee ballots for local elections three weeks before Election Day. The City of Madison counts absentee ballots at the polls on Election Day.

Visit My Vote Wisconsin

  • Check your registration
  • Locate your polling place
  • See your sample ballot
  • Track your absentee

The deadline to request an absentee ballot is 5:00 pm the Thursday before an election. It is best to submit your request early because it can take up to one week for the post office to deliver a ballot.

In-Person Absentee Voting

The Common Council sets absentee voting locations for each election.

Absentee Delivery by Email

Available for Military and Overseas Voters Only

Military and Overseas Voters:  Send your absentee request to voting@cityofmadison.com. Include your name, voter registration address, and email address. Voters temporarily overseas also need to submit voter ID, if not already on file in the Clerk's Office.

The Clerk's Office will send your ballot and certification as email attachments. Print the ballot and certification statement on paper.

Sign the certification statement and have an adult (18 or older) sign as a witness. Your witness does not need to be a U.S. Citizen, but they will need to write their address under the witness signature. Seal the ballot in an envelope. Attach the certification statement to the outside of that envelope.

Seal the envelope bearing the certification statement in a larger mailing envelope. Write "Absentee Ballot Enclosed" on the mailing envelope. Send your ballot to the City Clerk's Office through the mail. The Clerk’s Office needs to receive your absentee in time to deliver it to your polling place on Election Day.

Overseas Voter Guides from the Wisconsin Elections Commission:

Absentee Delivery by Mail

An Absentee Ballot Request form is available for your convenience, but you are not required to use a form.  You may submit an absentee request at My Vote Wisconsin(click on Vote Absentee at the top of the website). Or, you may send a written request that includes:

  • Name
  • Madison address
  • Address to which the ballot should be mailed
  • Signature
  • Copy of voter ID, if not already on file in Clerk’s Office

Send your request via email to voting@cityofmadison.com. If mailing your request, send it to: City Clerk's Office 210 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Room 105 Madison, WI 53703

The Clerk's Office mails ballots through the Thursday before each election. The Clerk's Office must receive your absentee in time for delivery to the polls on Election Day.

Voters Confined to their Homes

Age, physical illness, infirmity or disability might confine a voter for an unspecified period of time. These voters may request absentees for all elections. They must return a ballot every election to keep their absentee status active.

Permanent absentee voters do not need to provide ID. The witness signing the absentee envelope certifies the voter’s identity.

Submit permanent absentee requests at My Vote Wisconsin, or using this form:

Indefinitely Confined Absentee Ballot Request

Care Facilities and Nursing Homes

Two deputized officials deliver absentee ballots to absentee voters in care facilities. These absentee voters do not need to show ID. The Special Voting Deputies verify the identity of care facility absentee voters.

Each facility posts the dates and times Special Voting Deputies will visit. The deputies attempt to locate each absentee voter during their two visits to a facility. If they fail to connect with a voter, the Clerk's Office will mail that voter their ballot.

For more information, visit Voting in Care Facilities.

November Care Facility Schedule

Madison Voters Temporarily Overseas

Email your absentee request to voting@cityofmadison.com. Include:

  • Your name
  • Voter registration address
  • Email or street address to which we should send the ballot
  • A copy of your voter ID, if not already on file

For the fastest service, request that we send your ballot to an email address.

The Clerk's Office will send your ballot and certification as email attachments. Print the ballot and certification statement on paper.

Sign the certification statement and have an adult (18 or older) sign as a witness. Your witness does not need to be a U.S. Citizen, but they will need to write their address under the witness signature. Seal the ballot in an envelope. Attach the certification statement to the outside of that envelope.

Seal the envelope bearing the certification statement in a larger mailing envelope. Write "Absentee Ballot Enclosed" on the mailing envelope. Send your ballot to the City Clerk's Office through the mail. The Clerk’s Office needs to receive your absentee in time to deliver it to your polling place on Election Day.

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Elections & Voting