Can you tell election season is upon us? I’ve received four political fliers in the mail this week, and everywhere I look or listen there’s an advertisement for or against a candidate.
With the enormous amount of information being thrown at us, isn’t it hard to imagine someone might forget to vote? Well, statistics tell us, on average, 70% of eligible people in Wisconsin vote in presidential election years. That’s pretty good compared to the national average around 55%. However, that’s still approximately 1 million people here in Wisconsin who can vote but choose not to.
We encourage you this week to make a plan to vote.
You may have heard of this quote by Benjamin Franklin: “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” (Prov. 21:5)
It can be as simple as putting a calendar reminder in your phone or writing it on a physical calendar, but take a minute to do something that will help you remember to vote. Below are some tips for common voting questions;
What’s on my ballot?
If you are curious what is on your ballot, you can see your ballot HERE. Enter your voting address, and a sample of the exact same ballot you will be filling out when you go to vote will be presented for you so that you can prepare and plan. Ballots are typically available 47 days before a presidential election. I find this helpful because it allows me to research candidates and their positions ahead of time.
Where do I go to vote?
If you haven’t voted in a while or just aren’t sure where to go, myvote.wi.gov will allow you to enter your address and tell you exactly where you need to go in order to vote.
Am I registered to vote?
If you don’t remember if you are registered to vote, you can check anytime HERE.
Being registered to vote is a required step which helps verify your identity and requires you to prove that where you say you live is actually where you live. It’s in important layer of election security.
How do I register?
You can register online, by mail, in person at the municipal clerk, or in person at your polling place on election day.
You must always provide a Proof of Residence document when registering to vote. You can find more details and what are acceptable Proof or Residence documents HERE.
Here at Wisconsin Family Action, we want to make ourselves available to you and assist you if you want help making a plan to vote. That includes navigating any election-related questions you may have. You can email us back or call us at 608-268-5074.
We hope you are prepared and will execute your plan to vote this year!
