Advertisement As more people register to vote, it's important to know the rules.
One potential source of confusion for new and long-time voters alike is a generic voter registration form provided by national groups. Area residents may receive "official-looking" forms in the mail with warnings that cause them to think they need to register more than once.
For example, one group has mailed a letter stating, "NOTICE: State voting laws require individuals to register before voting. To comply with state legal requirements, please return the enclosed application."
Voters should remember they do not have to re-register to vote if they have voted in the last four years and have not moved or changed their names. These notices are being sent out to voters all over the United States, whether the recipients are registered or not.
For those people who really do need to register, it is better to use Wisconsin's voter registration form — the EB-131 form — and to remember our voter registration deadlines. Mail-in registration ends 20 days before the election — that was March 12 for the April 1 election. That means the names may not be on the poll book, and the voter will have to fill out the form again, on Election Day.
The deadline for the Sept. 9 primary is Aug. 20, and the deadline for the Nov. 4 general election is Oct. 15.
Wisconsin residents can register in their municipal clerk's office up to Election Day and at the polling place on Election Day, so no voters will be disenfranchised by confusing solicitations from out-of-state organizations. However, because these notices do not explain the state’s registration deadlines, some people who believe they are registered will not be in the poll book when they arrive at their polling place.
Voters with questions about Wisconsin voter registration may log onto the State Elections Division Web site at http://elections.wi.gov or contact their municipal clerk. Clerks in this area include the following:
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