When should we get 2022 midterm results, can I register to vote at the polls and what to expect on Election Day in Wisconsin

Mary Spicuzza, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
·5 min read

Wisconsinites are heading to the polls to cast their votes in the 2022 Midterm Election.

By the time the polls open at 7 a.m. Tuesday, thousands of people had already voted — including more than 60,000 Milwaukee residents who cast their ballots early.

Statewide, at least 719,000 Wisconsinites voted early in the lead-up to Election Day.

When should we expect election results?

But election workers were barred from starting to count those absentee ballots until 7 a.m. Tuesday. As a result, workers at Milwaukee's Central Count are expected to still be counting when the polls close at 8 p.m. Tuesday.

"The City of Milwaukee operates under state law," Mayor Cavalier Johnson said in an interview with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "The city has asked repeatedly for the state law to be changed for us to be able to count ballots earlier, so that we'd be in a better position to capture and report all the ballots as they come in, and report the information more timely on Election Day. We want to do that. Unfortunately, state law prohibits us from being able to do that."

Johnson, who voted Saturday at an early-voting location at Fiserv Forum, noted that the Republican-controlled Legislature has failed to change state law to allow earlier counting of absentee ballots.

"Election officials prioritize accuracy over speed when tallying the unofficial results," Wisconsin Elections Commission Administrator Meagan Wolfe said in a statement. "Unofficial election results may not be complete until the early morning hours after Election Day or later. That doesn't mean anything is wrong. It just means election workers are taking their time to ensure votes are counted accurately."

What time do voting polls open in Wisconsin?

Polling places will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day. Wisconsinites can check the MyVote website (MyVote.wi.gov) for information about where to vote and what's on the ballot. If you are in line by 8 p.m., you can still cast your ballot.

What you need to vote in Wisconsin

People should bring a photo ID with them to vote. Acceptable forms of identification include:

  • Voter ID (A Wisconsin driver's license, even if driving privileges are revoked or suspended).

  • Wisconsin identification card issued by the Department of Motor Vehicles (available for free).

  • A military ID card issued by a U.S. uniformed service.

  • A U.S. passport, an identification card issued by a federally recognized Indian tribe in Wisconsin (can be used even if expired, regardless of expiration date).

Same-day voter registration in Wisconsin is allowed

Wisconsin also allows same-day voter registration.

To register or change an address at the polls, a voter must provide a physical or digital copy of one of the documents below. The document must include the voter’s complete name and residential address, such as:

  • Utility bill (gas, electric, phone) issued within the last 90 days.

  • Bank, credit union, credit card or mortgage statement.

  • Current and valid Wisconsin driver's license or Wisconsin identification card

  • Paycheck.

  • A government-issued document or letter (federal, state, county, municipal, tribal, state college or public school).

  • Check issued by a unit of government.

  • Real estate tax bill or receipt for the current year or the previous year.

  • Current residential lease.

  • Contract or intake document issued when admitted to a nursing home or care facility.

  • College fee statement issued in the last nine months, accompanied by student ID card.

  • Affidavit from a public or private social service agency, on letterhead, identifying an individual who is homeless and indicating where that individual resides.

  • Official identification card or license issued by a Wisconsin governmental body or unit.

  • Identification card issued by an employer in the normal course of business, which has a photograph of the cardholder (not a business card).

  • Fishing and hunting licenses.

  • Vehicle registrations.

  • State social service programs.

Voters can still return absentee ballots

Ballots must arrive at the polling place or central count facility by 8 p.m. for them to count. Unstaffed absentee drop boxes are no longer allowed in Wisconsin, but many voters can return absentee ballots to their polling place on Election Day, although there are exceptions, election officials say.

Voters in 38 cities, villages and towns that count absentee ballots at a central location, including the City of Milwaukee, must return ballots to the central count location or their clerk’s office. Voters should check with their municipal clerk regarding absentee ballot return options. (The City of Milwaukee highly recommends returning ballots to its central count location and will have a curbside drop-off at the corner of West Wisconsin Avenue and Vel R. Phillips Avenue.)

Can you take ballot selfies in Wisconsin?

It's fine to take pictures of yourself at the polls or after you vote, but election officials don't want you to take and post photographs of any marked ballots.

Electioneering is prohibited at polling places

Electioneering is prohibited on public property within 100 feet of the entrance to a polling location. Political candidates may not visit polling places where their name is on the ballot other than to cast their own ballot. Election observers must register with the chief inspector and cannot hand out campaign literature, wear campaign merchandise or otherwise interact with voters.

Election observers are expected to be present in Wisconsin

Anyone, other than a candidate up for election, has the right to observe the conduct of the election, Wisconsin officials say. Observers may be present at polling places on Election Day and at central counting locations. Republican and Democratic observers, as well as others, are expected to be out in force.

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: What you need to vote in Wisconsin and Election 2022 results