Be a Voter
FDL Votes is here to help voters in Fond du Lac County.
Every step of the way we will help you through the process and answer your questions.
We want every citizen to have the information to participate in this essential act of citizenship.
The Wisconsin Voter Portal
Wisconsin has a terrific voter portal. www.MyVote.wi.gov. Everything you need to be an informed voter is at this website! You can do the following:
- Check your registration. If you are not registered, in most cases, you can register online.
- Find out your polling location
- Find out what is on your ballot
- Sign up to have an absentee ballot sent to you.
- Track your absentee ballot through the entire process.
- See who represents you and what districts you live in
- Find the name and contact information for your local clerk.
- See what elections you have voted in and if you voted at the polls or absentee.
- Find important voting deadlines.
Everyone who votes in Wisconsin can use this website. It is your place for up to date information on all things voting in the state. It is the official site run by the State of Wisconsin Election Commission.
The Voting Process
Voting is a two step process.
First, you have to register to vote. Registering puts your name on the eligible voter rolls. That means your name goes in the poll book. The poll book is the document you sign when you go to the polls to vote.
You only register once. If you move, you must re-register. Your registration is always at the physical address where you reside. You cannot register at a PO Box. As long as you vote regularly, your name stays on the eligible voter list and will appear in the poll book.
VOting
The second step is the actual act of voting. Up until the pandemic hit, most people voted at the polls on election day.
There are two other ways to vote. They are in person early voting (which is really a form of absentee voting) and voting absentee by mail or ballot drop off.
When you vote, you have to show a photo ID to get your ballot. For most people, this ID is your Wisconsin Drivers License or ID card.
What You Need to Vote
In order to vote, you have to provide proof of where you reside (once to get registered) and picture identification of who you are every time you vote.
This causes confusion, but it is really not that complicated if you have a valid Wisconsin Drivers License (DL) or a Wisconsin ID card issued by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation.
A valid Wisconsin DL or ID card makes registering and voting easy. That is ALL you need.
If you do not have a Wisconsin Drivers License or ID Card, there is help to get one.
Register to Vote
Ways to Register
It is really important to register to vote as far in advance of the election as possible. Registering puts your name in the poll book. This makes election day much easier for you and for the poll workers. It also makes it easy for you to get an absentee ballot.
For most people registering is easy to do online and all you need is a valid Wisconsin Drivers License or ID card. If you wait and register at the polls, and if your Drivers License is not the address at which you are trying to register, you will need additional documents. YOU DO NOT NEED THESE documents if you do it online. So registering is easier and faster with a Drivers License if you do it online.
If you do not have an Wisconsin Drivers License or ID card, you can still register to vote, but you will need specific documents to prove your residence and you cannot do this process online.
You can register by filling out a paper registration form and you mail that with your proof of residence to your local clerk. You also can go to your local clerk’s office and register in person.
IMPORTANT NOTE. Due to a court ruling, the days of residency requirement changed this year. You now must reside at your address for 28 days before you can register at that address. If you are moving after Oct 6th, you should absentee vote at your old address.
Ways to Vote
Absentee Voting
Any registered voter in Wisconsin can request an absentee ballot and vote by mail. You can make this request online at myvote.wi.gov or by a paper application. The very first time you make an absentee ballot request, you will need to give a copy of your photo ID. For most everyone this is your Wisconsin Drivers License or ID card. Once you provide that ID information, it stays on file at your local clerk’s office and your do not have to provide it again.
In Person Early Voting
Early in-person voting starts two weeks before an election and ends by the Sunday before the election.
You early vote at your local clerk’s office. It is up to the clerk to set the early voting policy. Click the button below for early voting times and locations for municipalities in Fond du Lac County.
In Person Voting
In person voting happens on election day at your polling location. The polls are open from 7 am to 8 pm.
If there are people in line to vote at 8pm the polls stay open until everyone has voted.
You can always find the name of your local clerk or the location of your polling place at myvote.wi.gov or by calling 866-868-3947
How Can we Help You?
We have dedicated pages on our website to give you the information you need to vote sucessfully in Fond du Lac County. You can look around this website or you can contact us and one of our trained volunteers will call you to answer your questions and walk you through the process. Each of the buttons below will take you to a dedicated page.
Important Deadlines
Days to Election Day
Spring Election Day is April 2, 2024
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Days left to election Day
Last Day to Register online
Online registration ends 21 days before an election.
You must register online by March 13, 2024
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Days left to register online
days to the beginning of Early in person voting
In person voting begins on March 19, 2024
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Days left until In person voting begins