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Absentee Voting Guidance for Dakota Residents

Absentee Voting Guidance for Dakota Residents

 

The ideal way to cast your ballot is in-person, at the polls, on Election Day. But if you are unable or unwilling to vote at the polls on November 3, you have the option to vote by absentee ballot—either through the mail, or early/in-person in the two weeks prior to the election. Before you can request a by-mail ballot or vote early, you must first be registered to vote,* and you must show ID in most circumstances. If you choose either absentee option, please note the following:

Voting by Mail

Per state law, all requests for absentee ballots must be made in writing. Ballots will never be sent to voters without said voters having requested them, nor can you call the town hall and ask that a ballot be sent to you. The voter himself/herself must make the written request (husbands cannot request a ballot for wives and vice versa, and people cannot request ballots for their children or parents). Request your by-mail ballot in any of the following ways:

  • Go to https://myvote.wi.gov/en-us/VoteAbsentee. The website will take you through the process. If you haven’t previously voted absentee by-mail in the Town of Dakota, read the next section regarding ID requirements.
  • Go to https://elections.wi.gov/forms/EL-121-english and download the absentee application (Form EL-121). Complete it and mail the application and any other necessary documents to N1470 State Road 22, Wautoma, WI 54982. If you don’t have Internet access, call the town hall at 920-787-4875 and ask that an absentee application be mailed to you. If you haven’t previously voted absentee by-mail in the Town of Dakota, read the next section regarding ID.
  • Email [email protected] and include in your message the following information. If you haven’t previously voted absentee by-mail in the Town of Dakota, read the next section regarding ID.
    • Your full name
    • Your Town of Dakota street address, and your mailing address, if different
    • The specific election(s) you are requesting ballots for
    • If you are indefinitely confined due to illness/disability, please make note of that as well

You must provide a photocopy of your ID with your absentee request, unless:

  • You have recently voted absentee via mail and already provided a copy of your photo ID to the Town of Dakota. (Copies of ID are kept on file, as permitted by law.)
  • You are a military or permanently overseas voter.
  • You are confined to your home indefinitely because of illness or disability.

Request and return your ballot as soon as possible before the election. It takes time for ballots to go back and forth through the mail system. In Wisconsin, the postmark doesn’t matter; all ballots must be received at the town hall by 8 p.m. on Election Day, November 3, 2026, to be counted. To be safe, mail your voted ballot at least 10 days before the election – but the sooner, the better. The Town of Dakota does NOT have a drop box, and return postage is provided on your absentee certificate envelope, so please return ballots by mail whenever possible.

Voting In-Person by Absentee Ballot

In-person absentee voting (“early voting”) is available Tuesday, October 20, through Sunday, November 1, by prior appointment ONLY. Before receiving your ballot, you will be asked to state your name and address and provide photo ID, just like you do at the polls.

Please understand that most town clerks, including yours, are extremely part time, without set office hours or staff to assist them. So if you wish to utilize this method of voting, you must email or call the clerk AHEAD OF TIME (48 hours before your requested appointment time is ideal) to schedule a time to come to the town hall and vote. Please don’t drop by the hall unannounced and expect to vote on the spot, or assume that a same-day appointment will be available. Clerks are people too; they have other work responsibilities besides elections, as well as personal obligations, so they cannot be "on call" 24 hours a day for these two weeks of early voting. Please help clerks help you by planning ahead.

In Closing ...

Since voting by absentee ballot is a privilege (whereas traditional at-the-polls voting is a constitutional right), it DOES require a bit more effort—on your part and the clerk’s. Please be understanding of this.

As always, polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day.

 

* The deadline to register to vote online or via mail was October 14. If you missed that deadline and want to vote early, you must register in-person with the clerk no later than 5 p.m. on Friday, October 30. You can vote early immediately after registering. (And, of course, you can always register to vote at the polls on Election Day just prior to voting.)