MADISON, Wis. — Workers have been out and about on the streets of Madison getting people registered to vote for the upcoming election.

What You Need To Know

  • Madison City Clerk Maribeth Witzel-Behl said she’s gotten boxes filled with voter registration forms that have unacceptable proof of address, incorrect information or no proof of address at all

  • Witzel-Behl said workers who are trained by the clerk’s office will be wearing special pins labeled “Voter Education Ambassador.” They’ll be able to get registrations done correctly

  • Witzel-Behl said the easiest way to register to vote is to visit myvote.wi.gov

  • The deadline to register online or by mail is Oct. 16. You can always register to vote at the polls as well on Election Day. The next Election Day is Nov. 5. Wisconsinites can also register during early voting. All you’ll need is a valid ID and proof of residence, such as a recent utility bill

Kirby Murrell is with the organization Wisconsin Votes. He said those with the organization have been walking the streets of downtown Madison every day for about nine hours each day, working to get people registered to vote in the upcoming election.

“We’re bipartisan, so it's like, no matter what side you're on, we’re just making sure everybody has the opportunity to have their voice heard,” Murrell said.

Murrell said they’ve seen a lot more interest from potential voters after Tuesday’s presidential debate.

“We have mostly college students, but we have a lot of older people now, who weren't interested in voting, but they are now,” he said. “They're showing a lot of enthusiasm, so we're really out here trying to get everybody the opportunity.”

Madison City Clerk Maribeth Witzel-Behl said she’s happy to see all of the enthusiasm from voters. But she said she’s noticed a concerning trend when it comes to new voter registrations her office gets.

“We are receiving thousands of incomplete voter registrations, and there are groups dropping off boxes full of registration forms,” Witzel-Behl said.

She said she’s gotten boxes filled with voter registration forms that have unacceptable proof of address, incorrect information or no proof of address at all.

She said her office has also been receiving registrations from voters who don’t live in the City of Madison.

“It’s frustrating for voters, I'm sure, to register with somebody at a registration drive and then look online and not see that they're registered if they're checking on MyVote,” Witzel-Behl said.

Witzel-Behl said workers who are trained by the clerk’s office will be wearing special pins labeled “Voter Education Ambassador.” They’ll be able to get registrations done correctly.

Witzel-Behl said the easiest way to register to vote is to visit myvote.wi.gov.

“If you have a Wisconsin driver's license or a Wisconsin ID card, and your address is up to date with the DMV, you can register to vote online in about two minutes,” she said.

The deadline to register online or by mail is Oct. 16. You can always register to vote at the polls as well on Election Day. The next Election Day is Nov. 5. Wisconsinites can also register during early voting. All you’ll need is a valid ID and proof of residence, such as a recent utility bill.

If you plan to vote absentee, you have until Oct. 31 to get that request in, but election officials said the sooner you can get that in, the better.

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