Voters to cast ballots in state's Spring Election



MADISON (WITI) -- Wisconsin’s voters will head to the polls on Tuesday, April 1st to choose among 5,981 candidates for 3,794 state and local offices, as well as vote in 101 different local referenda.

The Wisconsin Government Accountability Board is predicting voter turnout of 12 percent.

Local races include elections for three court of appeals judges, 39 circuit court judges as well as many county board supervisors, mayors, village presidents and school board members.

Other local referenda range from advisory questions about nonpartisan redistricting and legalization of marijuana in Dane County to cutting the pay and benefits of Milwaukee County Board supervisors.

To find out which candidates and referendums they will see on the ballot, voters should visit the MyVote Wisconsin website: http://myvote.wi.gov.  Registered voters can put in their name and date of birth to see their record and what is on their ballot.  Voters planning to register at the polls on Election Day can use the Address Search feature to find their polling place and see sample ballots for their city, village or town.  A complete list of races, candidates and referendums will be posted soon as an attachment to this news release on the G.A.B. website:http://gab.wi.gov/node/3174.

Elections Division Administrator Michael Haas reminded voters who plan to register on Election Day to bring an acceptable proof of residence document with them.  “You can use a current and valid Wisconsin driver license or identification card that has your current address,” Haas said.  “But there are many other kinds of documents that work as well, including property tax bills, utility bills, bank statements and paychecks.”  A full list of acceptable documents is available here:  http://gab.wi.gov/publications/voter-guides/proof-of-residence.

In-person absentee voting – also known as early voting – in the clerk’s office ended at 5 p.m. or the close of business on Friday, March 28.  Absentee ballots cast by mail must be postmarked by Election Day and received in the clerk’s office by Friday, April 4 to be counted.

Polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. on Election Day.  Haas reminded voters and clerks that the G.A.B. will be open for extended hours for the election.  On Friday, March 28 and Monday, March 31, the agency will be open until 6 p.m., and on Election Day from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Voters can call 1-866-VOTE-WIS (866-868-3947) or 608-261-2028.

Wisconsin has an estimated voting-age population of 4,400,015 adults.  Voter turnout and current voter registration statistics are available at http://gab.wi.gov/elections-voting/statistics.