How to vote · 2026
Wisconsin
Any voter can request a mail ballot
Every date below comes from the Wisconsin election office and links to the page that states it. Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026.
Dates and rules
Registration, mail ballots, and early voting
Registration deadlineOctober 30, 2026Online/mail registration by Oct. 14, 2026 (20 days before); in-person registration at the clerk's office through Oct. 30; same-day registration with proof of residence at the polls on Election Day.
Mail-ballot request deadlineOctober 29, 2026
Mail ballots first sentSeptember 17, 2026Municipal clerks must mail absentee ballots to voters with requests on file by the 47th day before a general election - Thursday, Sept. 17, 2026 (Wis. Stat. 7.15) - and within one business day for later requests. Applications must be received by 5 p.m. Oct. 29 (5 days out).
Return ruleMust be received by 8 p.m. on Election Day
Early in-person votingOctober 20, 2026through November 1, 2026 · In-person absentee voting at municipal clerk offices, typically Oct. 20-Nov. 1, 2026; exact days and hours vary by municipality.
Official WI election site ↗Dates last verified against the official site September 1, 2026.Sources: [1] Wisconsin Elections Commission; 47-day statutory mailing deadline for the Nov. 3, 2026 general election falls Sept. 17, 2026[2] USA.gov directory of official state election offices[3] Mail voting Sept. 17-Nov. 3, 2026[4] CEIR 2026 voter registration deadlines (June 25, 2026 dataset; per-mode deadlines and same-day registration windows)[5] NCSL Table 7: statutory rule for when absentee/mail ballots are mailed[6] NCSL Table 5: statutory absentee ballot application deadline[7] NCSL Table 11 (updated Dec. 2025): ballot receipt/postmark deadline
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The full table of mail-ballot send dates, registration deadlines, and early-voting windows for all fifty states and DC, plus the documented record of government actions on mail voting this cycle.
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