Deadline for some Wisconsin military voters extended

Wisconsin military and overseas voters from 65 municipalities will have extra time to return their absentee ballot for the April 3 Presidential Preference Primary.

Cities, towns and villages in 35 counties across the state missed the legal deadline of Feb. 18 to send approximately 240 requested ballots to military and overseas voters. Consequently, overseas voters from those areas will have up to 26 additional days to return their ballots.

The extension is a result of a March 23 consent decree between the Wisconsin Government Accountability Board and the U.S. Department of Justice. The Department of Justice viewed the failure of some municipal clerks to ship absentee ballots on time as a violation of the Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment (MOVE) Act, but agreed to a consent decree rather than resolve the issue in court.

Reid Magney, public information officer for the GAB, said that all eligible overseas ballots will be counted.

"The election night vote totals are unofficial," Magney said. "The official count comes from the local canvases, and those will not close until all the absentee ballots have been received."

Magney said that the absentee ballots still must be properly signed, witnessed and postdated by April 3, but municipalities that sent the ballots out late have to allow the same number of days after 4 p.m. April 6 - the normal deadline for absentee ballots - to receive the ballots from overseas. If the number of outstanding absentee ballots will not affect the final outcome - for example, three outstanding absentee ballots will not change a 25-vote margin - municipalities may send a qualified vote total to the GAB and update the figures later.

Under the consent decree, Wisconsin agrees to send absentee ballots by e-mail or FAX if affected overseas voters have not received their ballots by postal mail, and to notify affected voters of an established procedure to determine which ballot is to be counted if a voter returns a ballot by both mail and e-mail. Magney said the GAB sent a news release about the late ballots and consent decree to Stars and Stripes to inform overseas service members, and also posted the information on its website.

Kevin Kennedy, Wisconsin's chief election official, said the federal consent decree will be in effect through the fall 2012 elections.

Overseas voters who requested an absentee ballot but have not received it can also use the Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot (FWAB) provided by the Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP). By selecting "Get My Ballot Now," voters will see an online back-up ballot containing the candidate list.

Other than the presidential candidate primary, the April 3 ballot contains no statewide elections. However, voters from some counties may have elections for judicial office, county board, municipal board, school board and referenda. The names of all federal and state candidates on the April 3 ballot are available on the GAB website.

Military and overseas voters with questions about the absentee voting process may e-mail the GAB or call 1-608-261-2028, or toll-free 1-866-VOTE-WIS.

For additional assistance, contact FVAP at 1-800-438-8683, DSN 425-1584 or at vote@fvap.gov.