About 400 Rhinelander voters have requested absentee ballots for the August Primary.
Rhinelander City Clerk Austyn Zarda says it’s been going smoothly with 122 ballots returned as of Tuesday morning.
He’s not hearing from voters about any mail delays out of the ordinary.
“I do know in April we did have a couple that did come in after the election, but it's been pretty similar to previous elections, at least so far,” said Zarda. “Folks in Rhinelander are pretty good at returning their ballots in as early as possible to kind of avoid any of those mail delays.”
Some clerks, like Marathon County Clerk Kim Trueblood, are encouraging voters to put their ballots in the mail by July 28th.
“We continue to see ballots take up to two weeks to be returned to the municipality once they are mailed by the voter,” Trueblood said in a statement. “I encourage voters to complete their absentee ballot, and if they choose to return it by mail, to do so with plenty of time before Election Day.”
Voters can mail back their ballots, bring it directly to the clerk, or, in some municipalities like Rhinelander, drop it in a ballot drop box.
Ballots can also be taken to your polling location on election day.
All ballots need to be received by 8:00 p.m. on election day to be counted.
“It's kind of a balancing act of I want people to return their ballots as soon as possible, but I also want people to make sure that they're able to vote for who they want to vote for, and that who they vote for is going to still be in the running for that seat as we get to election day,” said Zarda.
If you’ve already voted and returned your ballot that includes a candidate that has since withdrawn from the race, you cannot change your vote. That’s the latest guidance from the Wisconsin Elections Commission.
If you’ve filled out a ballot but haven’t returned it yet, you can go to your clerk’s office to exchange it for a new ballot.
Other ways to vote include in-person absentee voting at your clerk’s office July 28th though August 9th. Availability varies by municipality, you should check with your local clerk.
The polls are open on August 11th from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
“I definitely recommend, however people want to vote, the most important thing that you can do is voting,” said Zarda. “However you want to vote, it is as secure as if you were going to the polling place on election day.”
The Wisconsin Elections Commission recently issues its best practices for returning absentee ballots. You can view it here.
