Election day is not only November 3rd, it’s today if you want it.
Wisconsin’s absentee ballot system has been made unnecessarily complicated by years of Republican sabotage. Wisconsin Democrats have been working hard to help smooth the often convoluted path. Here in Wisconsin, a citizen does not need a reason to request a ballot to be sent to their home, but 2020 has the best reason of all–a worldwide pandemic.
It’s important to make sure your ballot gets to you in plenty of time before the presidential election this year. Why not square away your ballot request now? Waiting could tie it up in red tape and delays and we already know from the spring elections Republicans would do anything to have your vote not count. If you’re already registered, go to https://myvote.wi.gov/en-us/VoteAbsentee , type in your name and address, and request an absentee ballot. You will be asked to specify which elections you’d like and you can simply check “all elections in the calendar year 2020”.
When the ballot arrives, there will be a few landmines to navigate. One of the trickiest is the witness signature if you live alone or with family members under 18. The great news is it’s absolutely true that *anyone over the age of 18* in your household is qualified to be a witness. They simply need to sign their name AND THEIR ADDRESS and you are legitimate.
But what do the people do who live alone? During a pandemic?
Couple options:
-Call the banks and see if any will be a witness of you filling out your ballot through the drive-up.
-Call a family member or neighbor and ask them to witness through your window. Set your ballot out the door after washing your hands (to keep them safe) and have them sign and put it back.
-Have someone witness via video chat and then mail your sealed ballot to them to sign. And while you grumble at the hoops you’re having to jump, remember they were all brought to you by a Republican minority who gerrymandered their way into forcing these obstacles in your way. https://wisconsinexaminer.com/brief/obtaining-absentee-witness-signatures/
-Find out if your community has any witness drives to help.
It’s not ideal and has already forced many people to give up and not vote. Don’t let them win. You can do it!
So let’s say you managed the witness signature. What else can trip you up? Definitely the drop-off.
-All ballots need to be mailed in the self-addressed, stamped envelope provided by the municipal clerk at least two weeks ahead. Why so long? The USPS has been ordered by the courts to stop delaying our first class mail to appease Trump, but every year ballots get ‘misplaced’, usually from blue counties. The sooner your ballot is in, the harder it is to be ‘disappeared’.
-If you don’t have 2 week’s leeway, you can drive over to your municipal clerk’s office. They need it early enough on voting day to be able to personally drop it off at the ballot box, so don’t think you can wait until 7 P.M. Taking care of this days or weeks in advance is how Democrats win.
-Some larger cities have drop-off sites and drop-off boxes. If you live in a larger city, it’s worth a quick Google to see if there’s one in a convenient location.
The Wisconsin Democrats are more focused and more determined than ever to get every Democrat’s voice counted, especially in 2020 when Trump’s name is on that ballot. Wisconsin has been held hostage by the tyranny of the minority through gerrymandering and voter suppression. The only chance we have to break out of these unfair maps and ultra-conservative views is to vote as hard as the opposition does. There are more of us if we get that vote in, whether it’s November, February, or any obscure election. Your vote is your voice and it’s time to shout.