Voting Absentee in the Hospital
Hospitalized voters may appoint an agent to pick up their ballot from the City Clerk’s Office. Hospitalized voting begins seven days before Election Day (so Tuesday, October 29, 2024). The agent needs to bring the hospitalized voter’s photo ID to the Clerk’s Office. The hospitalized absentee voting process is available until 5:00 pm on Election Day. To obtain a ballot in the hospital, you can use this form:
Hospitalized Absentee Ballot Request
Return Completed Requests to:
City Clerk's Office
210 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Room 105
Madison, WI 53703
Call our office at (608) 266-4601 with any questions.
Overview of the Process
The agent delivers the absentee request to the Clerk’s Office. They show the agent’s ID and a copy of the voter’s ID to Clerk’s Office staff. If the voter needs to register, the agent brings a completed voter registration application and proof of address to the Clerk’s Office.
The Clerk’s Office will issue an absentee ballot, absentee envelope, and instructions. The agent delivers this packet of materials to the voter at the hospital.
The hospitalized voter may choose anyone who is not a candidate on the ballot to be their witness. The witness could be the voter’s agent. The voter shows the witness that the ballot is not marked in advance. They use a blue or black ballpoint pen to mark the ballot in the presence of that witness. They should be far enough away from the witness that the votes cast are secret.
The voter folds the ballot and seals it in the absentee envelope in the presence of the witness. The voter signs or makes their mark on the absentee envelope. The witness signs the envelope, prints their name, and writes their street address on the absentee envelope.
The agent delivers the sealed absentee envelope to the Clerk’s Office. The Clerk’s Office sends all absentee ballots to the polls to be counted on Election Day.