Editor's note: This story is free from the paywall and only available online. Results of local elections will be posted when count totals are final.
MONROE – Prior to the polls opening Nov. 3, the Wisconsin Elections Commission released information from across the state on early voting numbers.
Sensing long lines at the polls due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, millions of voters from across the nation requested absentee ballots. In Wisconsin, more than 2.6 million absentee ballots were delivered, with 1.88 million returned either by mail or by in-person drop-offs.
In Green County, a total of 10,731 ballots were requested, with 10,714 sent. Of those sent out, 9,725 were returned (90.7%), with 3,147 (32.3%) returned as in-person drop-offs. The City of Monroe saw 3,577 of 3,772 ballots (94.8%) returned early, with 42.4% coming in the form of drop-offs.
Lafayette County saw similar numbers, with 85.7% of the 2,984 ballots sent returned in one form or another. Combined, the two counties saw 89.6% of absentee ballots returned, with 29.6% coming in the form of in-person drop offs.
In the November 2016 election, Green County had a total of 18,985 votes cast, while Lafayette County saw 7,662 take to the polls.
This year, Green County early voting totals were already at 51.2% of the 2016 totals, while Lafayette County was at 33.4%.
As a state, Wisconsin had just shy of 3 million votes cast in 2016, with 1.88 million already returned in 2020.
That means 63.3% of 2016’s total numbers have already been cast.
In Wisconsin and across the nation, record turnout is expected as contentious battles for the U.S. presidency and congress have ruled the airwaves and digital platforms. Registration numbers are up for both the state and the nation.
The official tallies of both the Wisconsin and national vote totals will not be known for likely several days — or longer. In a typical year, about 90% of the ballots from across the nation are tallied before midnight, but due to the influx of early votes and the expected rise of total turnout, the counting will likely take longer, especially if any state sees a difference of 0.5% between the top two candidates and needs to go to a recount.
2020 Local Absentee Counts
· Green County
o 10731 applications
o 10714 sent
o 9725 total returned (90.7%)
• 3147 in-person drop off (32.3%)
· Town of Adams
o 90 applications
o 90 sent
o 63 total returned (70.0%)
• 2 in-person (3.1%)
· Town of Albany
o 272 applications
o 272 sent
o 177 total returned (65.0%)
• 12 in-person (6.7%)
· Town of Brooklyn
o 363 applications
o 363 sent
o 334 total returned (92.0%)
• 79 in-person (23.6%)
· Town of Cadiz
o 198 applications
o 198 sent
o 192 total returned (96.9%)
• 81 in-person (42.1%)
· Town of Clarno
o 196 applications
o 195 sent
o 149 total returned (76.4%)
• 20 in-person (13.4%)
· Town of Exeter
o 816 applications
o 816 sent
o 771 total returned (94.4%)
• 310 in-person (10.2%)
· Town of Jefferson
o 173 applications
o 173 sent
o 149 total returned (86.1%)
• 16 in-person (10.7%)
· Town of Jordan
o 103 applications
o 103 sent
o 90 total returned (87.3%)
• 11 in-person (12.2%)
· Town of Mount Pleasant
o 293 applications
o 293 sent
o 253 total returned (86.3%)
• 36 in-person (14.2%)
· Town of New Glarus
o 560 applications
o 560 sent
o 479 total returned (85.5%)
• 99 in-person (20.6%)
· Town of Spring Grove
o 136 applications
o 136 sent
o 131 total returned (96.3%)
• 0 in-person (0%)
· Town of Sylvester
o 229 applications
o 229 sent
o 169 total returned (73.7%)
• 23 in-person (13.6%)
· Town of Washington
o 189 applications
o 187 sent
o 168 total returned (89.8%)
• 22 in-person (13.0%)
· Town of York
o 266 applications
o 266 sent
o 221 total returned (83.0%)
• 26 in-person (11.7%)
· Village of Albany
o 160 applications
o 159 sent
o 141 total returned (88.6%)
• 49 in-person (34.7%)
· Village of Browntown
o 50 applications
o 50 sent
o 39 total returned (78.0%)
• 6 in-person (15.3%)
· Village of Monticello
o 337 applications
o 336 sent
o 299 total returned (88.9%)
• 98 in-person (32.7%)
· Village of New Glarus
o 904 applications
o 904 sent
o 834 total returned (92.2%)
• 212 in-person (25.4%)
· City of Brodhead
o 780 applications
o 769 sent
o 715 total returned (92.9%)
• 338 in-person (47.2%)
· City of Monroe
o 3773 applications
o 3772 sent
o 3577 total returned (94.8%)
• 1517 in-person (42.4%)
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· Lafayette County
o 3032 applications
o 2984 sent
o 2560 total returned (85.7%)
• 499 in-person (19.4%)
· Town of Argyle
o 91 applications
o 87 sent
o 68 total returned (78.1%)
• 2 in-person (2.9%)
· Town of Belmont
o 124 applications
o 121 sent
o 106 total returned (87.6%)
• 16 in-person (15.0%)
· Town of Benton
o 89 applications
o 88 sent
o 67 total returned (76.1%)
• 2 in-person (2.9%)
· Town of Blanchard
o 70 applications
o 70 sent
o 55 total returned (78.5%)
• 1 in-person (1.8%)
· Town of Darlington
o 182 applications
o 180 sent
o 150 total returned (83.3%)
• 12 in-person (8.0%)
· Town of Elk Grove
o 44 applications
o 44 sent
o 32 total returned (72.7%)
• 5 in-person (15.6%)
· Town of Fayette
o 62 applications
o 62 sent
o 44 total returned (70.9%)
• 3 in-person (6.8%)
· Town of Gratiot
o 85 applications
o 82 sent
o 73 total returned (89.0%)
• 8 in-person (10.9%)
· Town of Kendall
o 64 applications
o 64 sent
o 48 total returned (75.0%)
• 2 in-person (4.1%)
· Town of Lamont
o 44 applications
o 43 sent
o 16 total returned (37.2%)
• 3 in-person (18.7%)
· Town of Monticello
o 19 applications
o 19 sent
o 11 total returned (57.8%)
• 0 in-person (0%)
· Town of New Diggings
o 62 applications
o 59 sent
o 52 total returned (88.1%)
• 10 in-person (19.2%)
· Town of Seymour
o 24 applications
o 24 sent
o 20 total returned (83.3%)
• 0 in-person (0%)
· Town of Shullsburg
o 64 applications
o 60 sent
o 51 total returned (85.0%)
• 2 in-person (3.9%)
· Town of Wayne
o 74 applications
o 74 sent
o 49 total returned (66.2%)
• 0 in-person (0%)
· Town of White Oak Springs
o 20 applications
o 14 sent
o 6 total returned (42.8%)
• 0 in-person (0%)
· Town of Willow Springs
o 128 applications
o 126 sent
o 110 total returned (87.3%)
• 22 in-person (20.0%)
· Town of Wiota
o 124 applications
o 123 sent
o 107 total returned (86.9%)
• 10 in-person (9.3%)
· Village of Argyle
o 152 applications
o 149 sent
o 129 total returned (86.5%)
• 10 in-person (7.7%)
· Village of Belmont
o 168 applications
o 168 sent
o 139 total returned (82.7%)
• 20 in-person (19.4%)
· Village of Benton
o 189 applications
o 188 sent
o 169 total returned (85.7%)
• 56 in-person (33.1%)
· Village of Blanchardville
o 265 applications
o 265 sent
o 247 total returned (93.2%)
• 95 in-person (38.4%)
· Village of Gratiot
o 18 applications
o 18 sent
o 17 total returned (94.4%)
• 3 in-person (17.6%)
· Village of South Wayne
o 43 applications
o 42 sent
o 39 total returned (92.8%)
• 5 in-person (12.8%)
· City of Darlington
o 549 applications
o 546 sent
o 506 total returned (92.6%)
• 164 in-person (32.4%)
· City of Shullsburg
o 276 applications
o 268 sent
o 248 total returned (92.5%)
• 61 in-person (24.5%)
