Voters will have a couple different options when it comes to casting their ballots this November.
You can vote in person at the polls or you can request an absentee ballot.
Voting at the polls will be fairly straight forward and similar to previous years, just with more safety precautions in place because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
If you request an absentee ballot you have different options on how you return it. You can mail it back. You can go to your city clerk’s office and put it right in their hands.
Rhinelander City Clerk Val foley said it’s one of a many cities offering a ballot drop box.
“We have the drop box for our voters who do not feel comfortable sending their ballots back via mail. They have the option of dropping them off in the box which we will be checking several times a day, getting the ballots out,” said Foley.
The box is on the Pelham and King street side of city hall. Foley is still waiting on signage for it.
It’s important to note you can only return a ballot to a drop box of the city or township you live in.
Foley said close to 1,500 people in the City of Rhinelander have requested absentee ballots. On a normal election, before COVID-19, Rhinelander would get between 250 and 300 absentee ballot requests.
It’s a similar story across the state.
Meagan Wolfe is Wisconsin’s Chief Election Official. She said Wisconsinites have requested more than 1,030,000 absentee ballots.
“We have had about over 100,000 new absentee ballot requests September 1st,” said Wolfe. “We have seen every day that number continues to grow in term of voters are choosing that option and are making their requests for absentee ballots.”
There is still time to request an absentee ballot if you want one. Wolfe encourages people to do so quickly if that’s their choice. She also says people should return them quickly if they’re mailing them back.
No matter how you vote, ballots need to be returned by 8:00 p.m. on November 3rd for them to be counted.
The following is list of which townships in Oneida County are offering ballot drop boxes. A reminder, you can only use a drop box in the township you are registered to vote in. You can call you town clerk for more information.
Town of Cassian – Unknown
Town of Crescent – Yes – Drop Box at 6902 Fire Tower Rd, Rhinelander.
Town of Enterprise – Unknown
Town of Hazelhurst – No
Town of Lake Tomahawk – Yes – Drop Box is available at the town hall – 7246 Main St. Lake Tomahawk
Town of Little Rice – No
Town of Lynne – No
Town of Minocqua – Yes – Front side of the Minocqua Center – 415 Menominee St., Minocqua
Town of Monico – Unknown
Town of Newbold – Yes – Newbold Town Hall- 4608 Apperson Drive
Town of Nokomis – Yes – 2541 Lake Nokomis Rd. – West side of building
Town of Pelican – Yes – 4095 Pine Ln., Rhinelander
Town of Piehl – Yes – 1415 Townhall Rd.
Town of Pine Lake – 4305 Highlander Rd – Front Porch –
Drop Box will be available starting Monday, September 28th thru October 16th Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
October 19th thru October 30th – Monday thru Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Town of Schoepke – Unknown
Town of Stella – Unknown
Town of Sugar Camp – Only on election day – Drop box available at the town hall.
Town of Three Lakes – Yes – Available during office hours only – Three Lakes Community Building – 6965 W. School St. Three Lakes
Town of Woodboro – Yes – Woodboro Town Hall 8672 Old Hwy K, Harshaw
Town of Woodruff – Yes – Woodruff Town Office - 1418 1st Ave., Woodruff
