Madison Reporter

In-person absentee voting for the June 17 Special Election begins today. The process at each absentee site involves several steps to ensure voter identity and ballot security.

Voters are provided with an absentee envelope where they must write their name, address, and date of birth. The absentee clerk checks the voter's ID and stamps the City Clerk's initials on the envelope to confirm identity verification. Registration status is verified, and a label with the voter's details is affixed to the envelope after confirmation.

The absentee clerk marks "Absentee" on the ballot card, writes the ward number, and stamps it with the City Clerk’s initials. The ballot card is activated on the ExpressVote accessible voting device, which offers features like large print, high contrast, Braille keypad compatibility with Sip & Puff devices, and Spanish translation.

Voters are given privacy to make their selections using ExpressVote prompts. After reviewing selections on the touchscreen or by reading them from the printed ballot card, voters fold their ballot cards in half and seal them in their absentee envelopes. They sign these envelopes in front of an absentee clerk who acts as a witness by signing and stamping their name along with the address of the voting site.

At day's end, completed absentees are delivered to the Clerk's Office. Both an absentee clerk and courier verify and document absentees' numbers daily using a tamper-evident seal with a unique serial number.

Upon delivery to the Clerk’s Office, two Chief Inspectors verify this serial number along with counting sealed absentee envelopes inside courier bags. Absentee ballots remain sealed until counted at polling places on Election Day when poll workers will complete verification processes before inserting ballots into tabulators for counting.

Voter registration is available at any absentee voting location upon providing proof of address but not allowed during specific days leading up to Election Day (Saturday through Monday). Voters receiving absentees by mail can return them during operational hours at any IPAV location.

In-person absentee voting locations include:

- Central Library: 201 W. Mifflin St., open weekdays from 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., June 3 - 13; Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., June 7 & 14.

- Madison Municipal Building: 215 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., June 3 - 13.