‘Don’t delay’ mailing absentee ballot, US Postal Service says

If you’re planning to vote by mail, the U.S. Postal Service recommends you mail your completed absentee ballot as soon as possible. 

The agency said they’re using “extraordinary measures” to deliver ballots quickly, such as extra collections and deliveries.

They expect their performance to be the same or better than 2020 — when they delivered 99.89 percent of mailed ballots to election officials within seven days. The agency said 97.9 percent were delivered within three days.

“But don’t delay. If you choose to vote by mail, please mail early as every day counts,” the U.S. Postal Service said Oct. 28 in a statement.

Dane County Clerk Scott McDonell agreed that people should mail their absentee ballots early. It makes his job easier. 

“Earlier is better, from our point of view,” McDonell said, which gives him time to sort each voters’ ballot and deliver it to the polls. “It’s opened at the polls and processed there, so we have to sort it and get it in the right pile.”

Changes in Madison’s mail service make it even more important to plan ahead, he said.

“The mail service isn’t what it used to be,” McDonell said. “Here in Madison, it used to be processed locally, and now it has to go all the way to Milwaukee and come back. So, you should get it in the mail now, just to be safe.”

He added that the best way to vote, in his opinion, is early, in-person absentee. 

“One, you know it got to the clerk’s office,” McDonell said, reducing steps like the ballot going through a dropbox or the mail system. “Two, you know that it was witnessed properly. We’ve heard questions in the past about whether it was filled out all the way. Well, the clerk is your witness, so it was witnessed properly.”

He said people are also less likely to make errors that way. 

Wisconsinites can vote in-person absentee in some municipalities through Nov. 3. You can find options for early voting here, or contact your local clerk’s office. 

People can also vote at their local polling place on Election Day, Nov. 5. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. If you are in line at 8 p.m. you will still be able to vote.