April 7th Election Still On; Officials Ask Voters to Cast Absentee Ballots

April 7th Election Still On; Officials Ask Voters to Cast Absentee Ballots

Kenosha - With all of the uncertainty and chaos overtaking our lives at the moment, it would be easy to overlook the fact that spring elections are coming up on April 7. As is the case for many right now, the COVID-19 outbreak has forced state election officials and municipal clerks to adapt on the fly.

Early voting, also known as voting absentee-in-person, has become increasingly popular in recent years. However, COVID-19 has caused officials to strongly encourage voting absentee by mail for this election. You can still request an absentee ballot through April 2 at My Vote Wisconsin (myvote.wi.gov). A photo ID is required, but you can take a picture of your ID with your phone and simply upload it to the site. If you don’t have the ability to submit a photo, contact my office, and we will assist you.

Having said that, while some municipalities around the state have cancelled early voting for this election, Kenosha, Racine, Somers, Mount Pleasant, Elmwood Park and Pleasant Prairie have not. Pleasant Prairie is offering drive-up voting; Kenosha and Racine are requiring appointments for those wishing to early vote. Voters should bring their own black pens to cast their ballots. However, early voting options could change at any time as conditions warrant, so your best bet is to call ahead.

Also of note - due to the coronavirus pandemic, a federal judge has extended the deadline for registering to vote either electronically or by mail for the April 7 spring elections. Online voter registration is available (again, myvote.wi.gov) through March 30. If you haven’t registered by that time, you can still register to vote at the polls on Election Day; just remember to bring proof of residency. You can also check your current voter registration status at the My Vote Wisconsin website.

Finally, polls will be open on Election Day, Tuesday, April 7. Clerks and other election officials all over the state are working to ensure clean, safe and efficient polling locations on Election Day.

Kenosha City Clerk Deb Salas

625 52nd St., Room 105

Kenosha WI 53140

(262)653-4020

elections@kenosha.org/clerk@kenosha.org

Somers Village/Town Clerk Timothy Kitzman

7511 12th St.

Somers WI 53144

(262)859-2822

tkitzman@somers.org

Racine City Clerk Tara Coolidge

730 Washington Ave., Room 103