Madison Reporter

Voters residing in qualified nursing homes and assisted living facilities in Madison can now cast their absentee ballots. This week marks the start of a new initiative where ExpressVote ballot marking devices are being set up for Special Voting Deputy (SVD) visits at the city's largest nursing homes. These devices offer features such as touchscreen, large print, and high contrast to allow voters to mark their ballots privately and independently.

State law mandates that poll workers bring absentee voting to requestors in specific nursing homes and care facilities. In Madison, there are 27 such facilities. Each is visited twice by a pair of Special Voting Deputies before an election.

Information regarding the dates and times of each SVD visit is posted at the facility and on the Clerk’s Office website. This allows voters to plan if they wish to have a family member assist them with marking their ballot. Facility staff are prohibited from assisting with ballot marking.

Both the Republican Party and the Democratic Party may send one observer per facility visit if they notify the Clerk’s Office beforehand; no other observers are allowed.

Special Voting Deputies attempt to connect with every resident who has requested an absentee ballot during their visits. The residents then mark their ballots, which are sealed in absentee envelopes for counting on Election Day. These envelopes are secured in a courier bag with a tamper-evident seal bearing a unique serial number, then returned directly to the City Clerk’s Office.

During their second visit, SVDs make another effort to reach voters unavailable during the first visit. If unsuccessful after two visits, the Clerk’s Office mails ballots to those absentee voters.

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