MONROE - Wisconsin voters who wish to vote with an absentee ballot probably should request one in person.
With just one week left before Election Day, Green County Clerk Mike Doyle warned against mailing a written request for an absentee ballot. That would be "cutting it close," Doyle said, because completed ballots must be received by municipal clerks in time to get them to the polling place before 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 4, to be counted.
For the past couple weeks, voters have been able to send a written request for an absentee ballot. In many states the phrase "early voting" is used, Doyle explained. Wisconsin doesn't technically have early voting, but does allow people to vote absentee. That, in effect, is early voting.
A voter must be registered to vote absentee, however. A voter who isn't registered must add one more step to the process of requesting an absentee vote. They must request a registration form, receive it in the mail, then return it before they receive an absentee ballot.
Doyle recommends people who want to vote absentee contact their municipal clerk in person to request a ballot. That would enable them to vote without having to go through the mail.
"If they aren't registered, the clerk can register them," he said. "If they are registered, they can fill out the ballot and have it signed by the clerk right there."
Doyle doesn't know how many people have voted by absentee ballot thus far because that work is handled by village and township clerks. He said interest in this year's election appears to be high and other states have reported higher early voting than in the past.
"Usually Green County has between 60 percent and 65 percent turnout in a presidential election. I don't know if we'll be higher than that because that's a pretty good number," Doyle said.
Doyle said there are 400 more people registered to vote in this election than in past elections. He said there are more than 18,700 people registered for the election in Green County.
The following is a list of names and phone numbers of township, village and city clerks, as well as the township hall, according to the 2008-09 Green County official directory:
• Adams township: Brenda Emberson, home 543-3790, township hall 543-3443
• Albany township: Bonnie Zee, home 862-3322, township hall, 862-3000
• Brooklyn township: Roseann Meixelsperger, home 455-8440, township hall 455-6411
• Cadiz township: Mary Jo Niffenegger, home 328-4680
• Clarno township: James Rutledge, home 325-3455, township hall 325-9202
• Decatur township: Ann Schwartz, home 897-2534, township hall 897-4965
• Exeter township: Candee Christen, township hall 421697
• Jefferson township: Ann Kloepping, home phone 934-5326, township hall 934-5255
• Jordan township: Billie Reynolds, home 325-5593, township hall 966-3400
• Monroe township: Karen Sutter, home 325-3806, township hall 325-3411
• Mount Pleasant: Dan Karlen, home 938-4486
• New Glarus: Pattie Salter, township hall 527-2390
• Spring Grove township: Deb Cline, home 897-4787, township hall 897-4643
• Sylvester township: Alice Ladwig, home 325-4783, township hall 862-1884
• Washington township: Emily Wild, home 325-3368
• York township, Nancy Anderson, home 523-4529, township hall 527-8125
• Albany village: Laurie Keepers 862-3240
• Belleville: April Little 424-3341
• Brooklyn: Carol Strause 455-4201 ext. 11
• Browntown: Carol J. Davis 966-3273
• Monticello: Joel Dutenhoefer 938-4383
• New Glarus: Lynne Erb 527-5973
• Brodhead: Nancy Schoeller 897-4018
• Monroe: Carol Stamm 329-2564
With just one week left before Election Day, Green County Clerk Mike Doyle warned against mailing a written request for an absentee ballot. That would be "cutting it close," Doyle said, because completed ballots must be received by municipal clerks in time to get them to the polling place before 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 4, to be counted.
For the past couple weeks, voters have been able to send a written request for an absentee ballot. In many states the phrase "early voting" is used, Doyle explained. Wisconsin doesn't technically have early voting, but does allow people to vote absentee. That, in effect, is early voting.
A voter must be registered to vote absentee, however. A voter who isn't registered must add one more step to the process of requesting an absentee vote. They must request a registration form, receive it in the mail, then return it before they receive an absentee ballot.
Doyle recommends people who want to vote absentee contact their municipal clerk in person to request a ballot. That would enable them to vote without having to go through the mail.
"If they aren't registered, the clerk can register them," he said. "If they are registered, they can fill out the ballot and have it signed by the clerk right there."
Doyle doesn't know how many people have voted by absentee ballot thus far because that work is handled by village and township clerks. He said interest in this year's election appears to be high and other states have reported higher early voting than in the past.
"Usually Green County has between 60 percent and 65 percent turnout in a presidential election. I don't know if we'll be higher than that because that's a pretty good number," Doyle said.
Doyle said there are 400 more people registered to vote in this election than in past elections. He said there are more than 18,700 people registered for the election in Green County.
The following is a list of names and phone numbers of township, village and city clerks, as well as the township hall, according to the 2008-09 Green County official directory:
• Adams township: Brenda Emberson, home 543-3790, township hall 543-3443
• Albany township: Bonnie Zee, home 862-3322, township hall, 862-3000
• Brooklyn township: Roseann Meixelsperger, home 455-8440, township hall 455-6411
• Cadiz township: Mary Jo Niffenegger, home 328-4680
• Clarno township: James Rutledge, home 325-3455, township hall 325-9202
• Decatur township: Ann Schwartz, home 897-2534, township hall 897-4965
• Exeter township: Candee Christen, township hall 421697
• Jefferson township: Ann Kloepping, home phone 934-5326, township hall 934-5255
• Jordan township: Billie Reynolds, home 325-5593, township hall 966-3400
• Monroe township: Karen Sutter, home 325-3806, township hall 325-3411
• Mount Pleasant: Dan Karlen, home 938-4486
• New Glarus: Pattie Salter, township hall 527-2390
• Spring Grove township: Deb Cline, home 897-4787, township hall 897-4643
• Sylvester township: Alice Ladwig, home 325-4783, township hall 862-1884
• Washington township: Emily Wild, home 325-3368
• York township, Nancy Anderson, home 523-4529, township hall 527-8125
• Albany village: Laurie Keepers 862-3240
• Belleville: April Little 424-3341
• Brooklyn: Carol Strause 455-4201 ext. 11
• Browntown: Carol J. Davis 966-3273
• Monticello: Joel Dutenhoefer 938-4383
• New Glarus: Lynne Erb 527-5973
• Brodhead: Nancy Schoeller 897-4018
• Monroe: Carol Stamm 329-2564