VOTE!

An election can't get much more important than Tuesday's presidential battle.

By now I hope you know which candidate you’re voting for, after all, the decision is in YOUR hands, the hands of voters.

Polls open across Wisconsin at 7 a.m. tomorrow for the Presidential Election and will close at 8 p.m.

You might want to take note that the busiest times for voting are expected to be before work from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m., and then after work from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

If you don’t know where your polling location is, well, let's be honest here – finding out where to vote isn't always a cakewalk. Plus, if you're new to the city or a first-time voter, even knowing who your elected officials are can be quite the hassle.

Luckily, the City of Milwaukee has made it very easy to find all of these details just by filling out a simple search form. By simply typing in your street address, you can find your polling station, as well as who your current elected officials are.

Now, if you’re planning to vote – and you should be – but you're not registered yet, it’s not a problem. In fact, it’s extremely easy!

You can register at your polling place if you bring a drivers license or identification card. If you have neither, you must have the last four digits of your Social Security Number. Plus, you'll need something else to prove who you are – a utility bill or pay stub will suffice.

The bottom line is you can register at the polls if you bring proof of residence and your ID, you are a U.S. citizen, and you're at least 18 years of age.

You'll also need to prove that you've lived at your current residence for at least ten days preceding the election.

Acceptable proof includes:

• A current and valid Wisconsin driver's license.
• A current and valid Wisconsin ID card.
• Any other official identification card or license issued by a Wisconsin governmental body or unit.
• Any official identification card issued by an employer with photo. (Business cards don't count though.)
• A credit card.
• A library card.
• A check-cashing or courtesy card.
• A bank statement.
• A paycheck.
• A check or other document issued by a unit of government.
• A real estate tax bill or receipt for the current year or the year preceding the date of the election.
• A residential lease that is effective for a period that includes election day.
• A university, college or technical institute fee card.
• A university, college or technical institute ID card with photo.
• An airplane pilot's license.
• A gas, electric or telephone service statement or bill that starts no earlier than 90 days before the election.

If you've recently moved, your best bet is to bring a gas, electric or phone bill, or your lease if you're a renter.

The aforementioned documents of proof will get you your ticket to vote, so long as they include your full name, including both the given and family name, and your current, complete residential address, including a numbered street address, if any, and the name of a municipality.

Note that many of these items don't usually have all of the necessary criteria, so you might have to bring more than one document for registration. Also, any of these forms with an expiration date must be valid on Election Day.

Not sure if you're already registered?

To check your registration status, visit the Election Commission's website and click the link to the Wisconsin Voter Public Access (VPA) website, or contact the Election Commission at (414) 286-3491.

With that, you should be all set. So, get out there and vote for the candidate of your choice!

Info comes from several online sources. Photo comes from gettyimages.com.

Comments

[Check Cashing]

I agree. The election today seems so much bigger than all our relatively recently past presidential elections.

[Amanda]

Thanks for all of the information! It's very helpful.