Secure Ballot Drop Boxes Now Open

The City of Madison’s secure ballot drop boxes are now open for the November 5 General Election. The boxes provide a secure way for City of Madison absentee voters to return their ballots to the City Clerk’s Office.

If you requested an absentee ballot for the November 5 General Election, you should see it in your mailbox in the next few days. Follow the instructions included with your absentee ballot to make sure your ballot is counted.

Once you vote your ballot and seal it in the completed certificate envelope, you can drop it in the secure drop box closest to you. Make sure the certificate is complete with the voter signature, witness signature, witness name, and witness address. You also have the option of returning the ballot by mail.

The City Clerk’s Office has a secure procedure for the retrieval of ballots from the 14 drop boxes located near City of Madison fire stations.

• Two sworn election officials retrieve the ballots from their assigned location.
• Election officials secure the ballots in a ballot bag with a tamper-evident seal. The seal has a unique serial number, which is written on the chain of custody form.
• By completing and signing the chain of custody, the election officials affirm:

We understand that we would be subject to applicable civil or criminal penalties if we failed to comply with State Statute 12.13. Under this State Statute, “No person may...Willfully or negligently fail to deliver, after having undertaken to do so, official ballots prepared for an election to the proper person, or prevent their delivery within the required time, or destroy or conceal the ballots.”

• Once teams have retrieved ballots from their assigned locations they immediately deliver the ballots to City Clerk’s Office personnel. Clerk’s Office staff confirm the information on the chain of custody form.

The full list of ballot drop box locations is below.

• Fire Station 1: 316 W Dayton St
  • Box is located just east of the main driveway.
• Fire Station 2: 421 Grand Canyon Dr
  • Box is located on west side of Grand Teton Pkwy before the station’s back driveway.
• Fire Station 3: 1217 Williamson St
  • Box is located in small garden just outside station front door. Walk-up traffic only.
• Fire Station 4: 1437 Monroe St
  • Box is located just east of driveway right across from the badger at Camp Randall. Just beneath the Madison: Solar America City sign.
• Fire Station 5: 4418 Cottage Grove Rd
  • Box is located on Atlas Ave between the bus stop and the station’s back driveway.
• Fire Station 6: 825 W Badger Rd
  • Box is located behind station on west side of Perry St just south of Madison College driveway.
• Across the street from Fire Station 7: Elver Park Shelter, 1250 McKenna Blvd
  • Box is located in island of the circle drive near the park shelter.
• Fire Station 8: 3945 Lien Rd
  • Box is located east of station on east side of Parkside Dr.
• Fire Station 9: 201 N Midvale Blvd
  • Box is located behind station on west side of Meadow Ln.
• Fire Station 10: 1517 Troy Dr
  • Box is located on north side of station near the intersection of Troy Dr and Hanover St.
• Fire Station 11: 4011 Morgan Way
  • Box is located behind station on east side of Crossing Pl between station driveway and intersection of Crossing Pl and Nelson Rd.
• Fire Station 12: 400 South Point Rd
  • Box is located just north of station on South Point Rd near intersection of South Point Rd and Briar Haven Dr.
• Fire Station 13: 6350 Town Center Dr
  • Box is located just east of station driveway on north side of Town Center Dr.
• Fire Station 14: 3201 Dairy Dr
  • Box is located just north of station driveway near intersection of Dairy Dr and Prairie Dock Dr.

The goal of the City Clerk’s Office is that each eligible voter will be able to cast a ballot and have that ballot counted.