The Wisconsin Government Accountability Board says 412,611 Wisconsin residents have requested absentee ballots for the November 6 general election by late Wednesday afternoon, with 256,000 requested in clerks' offices.
"Based on our limited numbers, absentee voting continues to be robust around the state," said Wisconsin chief election official Kevin Kennedy. "One week ago, 225,209 absentee ballots had been requested."
Wisconsin's local election officials track absentee ballot requests using the Statewide Voter Registration System (SVRS).
Those officials report there were 256,277 ballots requested in clerks' offices, and 156,334 ballots requested by mail and other methods.
In 2008, 21 percent of the 2.99 million ballots cast were absentee.
Clerks are not required to report absentee ballot numbers until after the election. However, more than half of municipal clerks track some or all absentee ballots in SVRS, including all the state's large cities.
In-person absentee voting in the clerk's office runs through 5 p.m. or the close of business on Friday, November 2, whichever is later. Some clerks are offering extended hours to handle demand.
Voters should check their municipal clerk's office hours. In some places, voters may need to make an appointment.
Elections Division Administrator Nat Robinson is urging voters to visit the My Vote Wisconsin website, where they can find their clerk's location and contact information, as well as see a sample ballot and check their voter registration status. The web address is www.
myvote.wi.gov.
You can also get absentee voting information on the Government Accountability Board's website, www.
gab.wi.gov/voters.
