Absentee Voting in Minn., Wis. Starts this Week

Election Day may be Nov. 6, but voting for the general election begins this week in Minnesota and Wisconsin for absentee voters.

In Minnesota, in-person absentee ballot voting begins Friday. In Wisconsin, governments must mail absentee ballots to those who have already requested one by Thursday; in-person absentee balloting there does not begin until Oct. 22.

"We're scrambling to get them out by then," said Cindy Campbell, St. Croix county (Wisc) clerk, who was due to drop off the last absentee ballots to municipalities by the end of Tuesday so they could be mailed out by Thursday's state deadline.

"That's for the post office," said Carol Peterson, elections supervisor in Minnesota's Washington county, as she carried a USPS mail carton filled with sealed absentee ballots being mailed to voters.

Peterson's office will set up five voting booths inside the county government center's lobby by Friday's start of in-person absentee voting.

In Minnesota, a voter qualifies for voting by absentee if:

• they are not going to be in their precinct on election day;
• are sick or disabled;
• serving as an election judge;
• or have a religious reason.

In Wisconsin, new rules in effect for the first time in a general election bar in-person absentee voting in the three days prior to Election Day.

The town of Hudson's clerk, Vickie Shaw, is telling voters to "get your absentee ballot request in as soon as possible," warning that long lines could be expected for procrastinators.

"Don't wait," Shaw told 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS, "because it's going to be a busy election."

Watch our story above to learn more.

Click here for Minnesota voter resources.

Click here for Wisconsin voter resources.

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