MONROE - A federal judge ruled this summer to remove Wisconsin early voting time limits, leaving it up to each municipality's discretion, but Monroe will stick with two weeks for in-person absentee votes.
Monroe City Clerk Carol Stamm made the announcement during the Monroe Common Council meeting on Tuesday.
"There were restrictions by state law that limited the time people could come into City Hall for early absentee voting to two weeks," Stamm said. "That has been amended. Now, each municipality can set the time."
With the exception of the day before the general election on Nov. 8, Stamm said Monroe residents can walk into Monroe City Hall from Monday through Friday, between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., and complete an absentee ballot in person. The period of early voting will begin on Oct. 24 and end on Nov. 4.
Though some cities like Madison, which has scheduled its early voting to begin on Sept. 26 and continue through the first week of November, have embraced a large timespan, Stamm said Monroe is a small city and will keep the two-week timeframe for early voters.
"There may be some confusion because of cities like Madison or Milwaukee, but we're not Madison," Stamm said.
The city lacks the staff to properly handle a longer time span, she added.
Stamm said city staff hopes to be able to return to their offices in City Hall. Currently the building is being renovated to remove asbestos from the aged floor tiles.
In-person absentee voting is a matter of convenience for most registered voters, who will still need a photo ID to cast their ballot before the general election.
During the two weeks in which they are allowed, residents can visit City Hall where they will have to fill out a request form for an absentee ballot. Once the form is verified, the voter casts a ballot in the clerk's office. It is then sealed in an envelope and securely kept until the day of the general election. Once Nov. 8 arrives, each envelope is taken to poll workers, who run the paper ballots through the same machine that processes voters' ballots on election day.
According to records kept by the clerk's office, the 2012 general election brought in 761 early ballots. In a presidential race the number of overall voters, and therefore early voters, is generally higher. During the spring election of 2015, only 56 voters cast early ballots leading up to the local contest.
Stamm said for the November race between two presidential candidates where neither is the incumbent, the city is expecting a high turnout, but she is unsure how many early voter ballots the city might receive.
Monroe City Clerk Carol Stamm made the announcement during the Monroe Common Council meeting on Tuesday.
"There were restrictions by state law that limited the time people could come into City Hall for early absentee voting to two weeks," Stamm said. "That has been amended. Now, each municipality can set the time."
With the exception of the day before the general election on Nov. 8, Stamm said Monroe residents can walk into Monroe City Hall from Monday through Friday, between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., and complete an absentee ballot in person. The period of early voting will begin on Oct. 24 and end on Nov. 4.
Though some cities like Madison, which has scheduled its early voting to begin on Sept. 26 and continue through the first week of November, have embraced a large timespan, Stamm said Monroe is a small city and will keep the two-week timeframe for early voters.
"There may be some confusion because of cities like Madison or Milwaukee, but we're not Madison," Stamm said.
The city lacks the staff to properly handle a longer time span, she added.
Stamm said city staff hopes to be able to return to their offices in City Hall. Currently the building is being renovated to remove asbestos from the aged floor tiles.
In-person absentee voting is a matter of convenience for most registered voters, who will still need a photo ID to cast their ballot before the general election.
During the two weeks in which they are allowed, residents can visit City Hall where they will have to fill out a request form for an absentee ballot. Once the form is verified, the voter casts a ballot in the clerk's office. It is then sealed in an envelope and securely kept until the day of the general election. Once Nov. 8 arrives, each envelope is taken to poll workers, who run the paper ballots through the same machine that processes voters' ballots on election day.
According to records kept by the clerk's office, the 2012 general election brought in 761 early ballots. In a presidential race the number of overall voters, and therefore early voters, is generally higher. During the spring election of 2015, only 56 voters cast early ballots leading up to the local contest.
Stamm said for the November race between two presidential candidates where neither is the incumbent, the city is expecting a high turnout, but she is unsure how many early voter ballots the city might receive.