Madison Reporter

Voters residing in qualified nursing homes and assisted living facilities in Madison can now cast their absentee ballots. State law mandates that poll workers facilitate absentee voting for residents in these care facilities. The City of Madison accommodates this by deploying Special Voting Deputies (SVDs) to 27 such facilities.

The SVDs visit each facility twice before an election, with the dates and times posted at the facility and on the Clerk’s Office website. This arrangement allows voters to plan if they wish to have a family member assist them with marking their ballot, as facility staff are prohibited from providing such assistance.

Both the Republican Party and the Democratic Party may send one observer to each facility visit, provided they notify the Clerk’s Office beforehand. No other observers are allowed during these visits.

During their visits, SVDs aim to connect with every resident who has requested an absentee ballot. Residents mark their ballots during these visits, after which the ballots are sealed in absentee envelopes for counting on Election Day. These envelopes are then secured in a tamper-evident courier bag with a unique serial number and returned directly to the City Clerk’s Office.

If any voters are unavailable during the first visit, SVDs attempt another connection during their second visit. Should they still be unable to reach some voters, the Clerk’s Office will mail ballots to those individuals.

The City Clerk’s Office aims for every eligible voter to cast a ballot and have it counted.