News & Updates

If you have received an unsolicited voter registration or absentee ballot request or document that is not from the Wisconsin Elections Commission or the Milwaukee Elections Commission please do not use these forms as they may contain errors.  We continue to ask all eligible student voters to go to the Marquette.edu/vote website to utilize the links to the Marquette TurboVote website to register to vote in Wisconsin or your home state; once registered you are able to request an absentee ballot.  The Marquette TurboVote site directs students to the government’s myvotewisconsin website in order to accurately process voter registration and absentee ballot requests.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Wisconsin Election Commission is encouraging eligible Wisconsin voters to vote absentee for the Nov. 3, 2020 Presidential General Election Day. Please note: you must already be a registered voter to request an absentee ballot. 

Some other states and municipalities are also encouraging absentee voting, so please check in with your current state and municipality regarding absentee voting requirements. Links to each state’s absentee voting information are below. Please note: eligible voters can only vote once in an election, if you are from Illinois and vote absentee for the Nov. 3, 2020 Presidential Election you cannot also vote in-person in Wisconsin on Nov. 3, 2020.

Under Wisconsin law, every qualified voter must maintain a current voter registration before voting in an election. Therefore, every qualified voter who plans to vote must complete a voter registration application if:

1. you are a new Wisconsin voter; or
2. your name or residential address has changed since you last registered to vote including a changed dorm room or apartment number; or
3. if you have not voted in the past four (4) years.

If you are uncertain of your voter registration name, address or status, you can go to My Vote Wisconsin and select "Regular Voter" to look up your voter record.

Note that current residency requirement to register to vote is now 28 days in Wisconsin.

Each state has its own laws and deadlines for voter registration and absentee voting. Please check with your home state for guidelines regarding voter registration, absentee voting and deadlines for these activities. Please note that if you plan to vote absentee in your home state, the requirements for requesting a ballot are often weeks or months in advance of the actual election date.

Links to state elections websites are listed below under the first FAQ.

On June 29, 2020 the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals issued its ruling in the One Wisconsin Institute case that had been on appeal since 2016. According to the Wisconsin Elections Commission (WEC), the Court’s rulings are in effect as of July 29, 2020, including:

• The Court determined that the State’s 28-day residency requirement for voter registration was constitutional. WEC has updated the voter registration form and will be updating the online voter registration process on MyVote to reflect the change to 28 days.
• If a qualifying student ID (such as a Marquette Voter ID card) used for the purposes of meeting the photo ID requirement is unexpired, the proof of enrollment document accompanying a student ID is no longer required. If the student ID (such as a Marquette Voter ID card) is expired, the voter must also provide the valid proof of enrollment document. Please note current Marquette students can use theVoter ID Fee Statement on CheckMarq, which includes the student’s address.  If the voter has an expired student ID and does not have a valid proof of enrollment document, they will not be permitted to vote a regular ballot unless they can provide another acceptable form of photo ID. If a voter is unable to meet the photo ID requirement, and they are otherwise qualified, they will be permitted to vote a provisional ballot. For the provisional ballot to be counted, the voter must provide an acceptable form of photo ID prior to 4:30 p.m. on the Friday after the election. See Wis. Stat. § 6.97.
• Clerks may not send absentee ballots to regular absentee voters via fax or email delivery. Clerks must continue to send absentee ballots to military and overseas voters via fax or email delivery if either of those methods are requested by the voter.
• Effective immediately: Certified housing lists provided by colleges or universities do not need to contain citizenship status and may be used a proof of residence without that information.

 

Given the circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic, voting absentee is encouraged. You can vote absentee using your home address, either in Wisconsin or another state. To learn more about absentee voting, visit Wisconsin Elections Commission or your hometown’s election commission website. Please note: eligible voters can only vote once in an election, if you are from Illinois and vote absentee for the Spring 2021 Election you cannot also vote in-person in Wisconsin on April 6, 2021.

Absentee Voting and Registering to Vote Outside of Wisconsin - Plan Early

Each state has its own laws and deadlines for voter registration and absentee voting. Please check with your home state for guidelines regarding voter registration, absentee voting and deadlines for these activities. Please note that if you plan to vote absentee in your home state the requirements for requesting a ballot are often weeks or months in advance of the actual election date.

NOTE: Union Station also has notary services if you are voting absentee in your home state and need to get your ballot notarized. Contact Union Station (414) 288-7213 to make an appointment if you need this service or call the AMU Info Desk at (414)-288-7250.

A list of states that required notarized absentee ballots can be found here.

 

Assuming current Marquette students meet all of the eligibility requirements to vote in Wisconsin, students can apply for their Marquette Voter ID Card at Union Station, located in the lower level of the Alumni Memorial Union. Students must present their current valid Marquette ID card to obtain a Marquette Voter ID Card. (Please note, a Marquette ID card is not the same as a Marquette Voter ID Card.)

Union Station hours for Fall 2020 will be:

• Monday-Thursday: 8:30 AM- 5:30 PM
• Friday: 8:30 AM- 4:30 PM

Info on Voter ID cards and printing a Voter ID fee statement from CheckMarq