PUBLIC INFORMATION SESSION - NEW VOTER ID LAW
Monday, March 12, 2012, 6:30 p.m.
Elisha D. Smith Public Library, Company E Room
440 First Street, Menasha

Information Poster    or         Press Release

Wisconsin Election Laws:  Photo ID and Other Recent Changes

Wisconsin Voting:  The Indefinitely Confined & Voters in Care Facilities

2012 Election Dates:

Spring Primary Election - February 21, 2012 (NOT REQUIRED)

Spring Election - April 3, 2012

Partisan Primary - August 14, 2012

General Election - November 6, 2012 (Presidential Election)

2012 Candidate Information

Type A Notice of Spring Election 2012 - List of offices up for election in 2012

2012 Guide for Candidates

April 3, 2012 Candidate Certification and Ballot Placement

Voting Locations:

For voting locations, you may call the Clerk's office as locations are determined by address, or click here to find your voting location in the Voting Location Chart. Polling place hours are from 7:00 am to 8:00 pm.

Click here to find your alderperson

Voting locations can also be obtained on the Voter Public Access Website

Click Here for access to the Governement Accountability Board

Registering To Vote:

Clerk's Office

City Hall
Monday-Thursday: 7:30 am - 4:30pm and Friday 7:30am - 4:00pm.

OR

Polls on Election Day

Polling place hours are from 7:00 am to 8:00 pm

Bring identification with your current City of Neenah address, such as a driver's license, lease, mortgage or utility bill. Registrant must provide either their driver's license number or the last 4 digits of their social security number.

 Requirements to Vote:

• You must be a U.S. citizen
• You must be at least 18 years old on or before election day
• You must have resided in your election district for at least 28 days
• You must not have lost your right to vote

 Registering to Vote:

You can register to vote up until the Friday before the election or on Election Day.  As of 2012, a corroborating witness can no longer be used as proof of residency.  Proof of residency is required when registering less than 20 days before an election, on Election Day, and for first time Wisconsin voters registering by mail.
Click Here for Voter Registration Application (GAB-131)

Anyone wishing to vote in the State of Wisconsin, where they are required to register, has three options to register:

1. BY MAIL: Download the Application for Voter Registration (GAB131), complete the form  and mail it into your municipal clerk's office up to 5:00 PM on the 20th day before the election.
2. IN PERSON: Register in the municipal clerk's office up to 5:00 PM on the day before the election.   Proof of residency is required when registering less than 20 days before an election.  You must bring proof that you have lived at your present location for 28 days preceding the election.
3. AT THE POLLING PLACE ON ELECTION DAY: If you wish to register to vote at your polling place, you must bring proof that you have lived at your present location for 28 days preceding the election and provide either your driver's license number or the last 4 digits of your social security. For purposes of voter registration, a form of identification constitutes acceptable proof of residence if it includes:
   1. A current and complete name, including both the given and family name; and
   2. A current and complete residential address, including a numbered street address, if any, and the name of a municipality.

Forms of identification which constitute acceptable proof of residence, when they contain the information specified above, include the following:

1. A Wisconsin motor vehicle operator's license.
2. A Wisconsin identification card.
3. Any other official identification card or license issued by a Wisconsin governmental body or unit or by an employer in the normal course of business, but not including a business card.
4. A credit card or plate.
5. A library card.
6. A check-cashing or courtesy card issued by a merchant in the normal course of business.
7. A real estate tax bill or receipt for the current year or the year preceding the date of the election.
8. A residential lease which is effective for a period that includes election day.
9. A university, college or technical institute fee card.
10. A university, college or technical institute identification card.
11. An airplane pilot's license.
12. A gas, electric or telephone service statement for the period commencing not earlier than 90 days before election day.

If you cannot supply acceptable proof of residence, your registration form can be substantiated and signed by one other elector who resides in your municipality, corroborating your residency information. The corroborator must then provide acceptable proof of residence.

Clerks and election inspectors should know the following important statutory requirements:

• Only one form of proof of residence is required.
• A voter may provide other forms of proof of residence if it contains a current and complete name, including both the given and family name; and current and complete residential address, including a numbered street address, if any, and the name of a municipality.
• An envelope addressed to the voter is not acceptable proof of residence.
• The form of the proof of residence along with any identification or account number must be recorded on the voter registration card.
• Election inspectors should only request identification as proof of residence when a voter is registering. A voter who is registered does not need to provide identification.
• An elector registering on election day may have their residence corroborated by another elector who resides in the municipality who has proof of residence.
• New federal mandate as of January 1, 2003 requires all registrants to provide either a driver's license number or last 4 digits of their social security number on their application.

Non-English Speaking Voters

A citizen cannot be denied the right to vote because the citizen does not speak English. If a voter is challenged and can not answer the challenge questions because the challenged voter does not speak English, the challenged voter should be given a challenged ballot. The inability to answer the challenge questions because of lack of proficiency in English is not the same as refusing to answer the questions.

If a voter is challenged and is unable to answer the challenge questions, the inspectors should note on the challenge form that the questions could not be asked because of the challenged voter's inability to speak English. The challenged voter is given a ballot that is marked with a serial number corresponding to the voter's name on the voter list.

How to obtain an absentee ballot:
Click Here for absentee ballot request (GAB121)

Registered voters who cannot go to their polling place or are unwilling to go on election day may vote by absentee ballot. Voters who have moved within the state during the 28 days before an election can vote by absentee in person at the Clerk's Office or by mail. Ballots are available for mailing or in-person voting 21 days before an election (30 days before the fall elections).

• In Person: You may request and mark an absentee ballot in person at the City Clerk's Office. Beginning in 2012 absentee voting in the City Clerk's Office is restricted to the two weeks prior to an election.  The deadline is the close of business (4 p.m.) on the Friday before the election.  Also beginning in 2012, absentee voters in the City Clerk's Office must present the same type of photo ID required at the polls.  Acceptable forms of photo ID can be found in the brochure Wisconsin Eleciton Laws:  Photo ID and Other Recent Changes Effective 2012.  
• By Mail: You may request an absentee ballot by mail. Your written request can go to the City Clerk any time from six months before an election until 5 p.m. the Thursday before the election. Send your full name, the address of your legal voting residence, the fact that you are requesting an absentee ballot and the address to which you want the ballot sent.  The City Clerk's Office must receive your absentee ballot by election day in order for your vote to be counted.  Beginning in 2012, the application must be accompanied by a photocopy of an acceptable form of voter ID.  Once you have your photo ID on file, you will not need to send it with future absentee ballot requests unless you change your name or address. Acceptable forms of photo ID can be found in the brochure Wisconsin Eleciton Laws:  Photo ID and Other Recent Changes Effective 2012.   
• By Email/Fax:  You may request an absentee ballot by Email or Fax.  You must either include a photocopy of acceptable ID with your request or in your absentee ballot envelope.     

City of Neenah Voting Method:
The City of Neenah uses a paper ballot, which is read by an optical scanning machine. To cast your vote you must darken the oval next to your voting choice.