Voting Information

General Voting Information

The City of Markesan's population estimate as of 2020 (the most recent available) is 1,417, with approximately 1,099 eligible voters. Of the estimated total eligible voters, we currently have 838 registered voters in the City. Based on our population, the City is split into three wards, however, for voting purposes, all wards are combined at one polling place.

All voters in the City of Markesan vote at City Hall, 150 S. Bridge St., Markesan. Voting takes place in the Community Room.

Polls open at 7:00am and close at 8:00pm for all elections.

All voters must be registered to vote in the State of Wisconsin. If you are not registered, or if you have moved since the last time you voted, please see the Voter Registration information below on how to register.  You can also register to vote online under certain circumstances.  Visit My Vote Wisconsin to see if you can register online!

Voter ID Required

PLEASE REMEMBER TO BRING YOUR PHOTO ID WITH YOU TO THE POLLS. Your vote may not be able to be counted without appropriate identification.

Whether you vote at the polls or absentee, you will need to show appropriate photo ID. Please bring your ID with you when you come to vote. There is not a special "voter ID" card, you just need to bring an approved form of photo ID. If you are unsure, please click this link for examples of acceptable ID's.

If you do not have an acceptable photo ID, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation will provide free state ID cards for voting purposes. To learn more about how to obtain a free ID card, visit https://elections.wi.gov/photoid.

Absentee Voting

If you are unable to come to the polls on Election Day, you may request an absentee ballot. There are two ways to vote absentee, either in-person at the Clerk-Treasurer's office, or you can request a ballot be mailed to you.  All absentee ballots should be returned as soon as possible to ensure they can be counted. They must be received by 8:00pm on Election Day or before.

If you have any questions about absentee voting, please contact the Clerk-Treasurer's office at (920) 398-3031.

Absentee Voting at Markesan Resident Home: 

The Markesan Resident Home is a qualified facility, therefore, special voting deputies facilitate absentee voting for any interested residents of the Home. Notices are posted at least five days prior to the date that the special voting deputies are present at the Home for this purpose. Notices are posted at the usual City posting locations, at the Markesan Resident Home, and on this website (on our homepage under "News and Announcements"). Any questions regarding the voting procedures at Markesan Resident Home may be directed to the City Clerk-Treasurer at (920) 398-3031.

You may request an absentee ballot to be mailed at any time. Please complete the Absentee Ballot Request (English or Spanish) form, print, sign and return it to the Clerk-Treasurer's office by the Thursday before the election. State law requires that mailed requests must be received by then in order to be processed. Please note that a written request is required, we cannot mail out a ballot on a verbal request.

Please mail your request to:

City of Markesan

PO Box 352

Markesan, WI 53946

OR email your request to: tharrington@markesanwi.gov

OR drop off your request at City Hall during office hours, or 24/7 in the payments drop box to the left of the main entrance.

In addition to your application, please note that the first time you request an absentee ballot by mail, you must include a copy of your photo ID. This copy will be kept on file, and you will not need to send it again with future requests, unless your name or address changes.

In-person absentee voting is conducted at the Clerk-Treasurer's office prior to the election, in accordance with State law, during regular office hours. Currently State law allows in person absentee voting as soon as the ballots are received. Please check with City Hall to confirm if there have been any changes to this time frame.

The Clerk-Treasurer's office is located at:

Markesan City Hall

150 S. Bridge Street

Markesan, WI 53946

A separate, written application is not required when you vote in person, as your absentee envelope certification serves as your application.

Please remember that you will be required to present your photo ID.

In Person Registration

You may register to vote in person at the City Clerk-Treasurer's office anytime up to the Friday before an election. Please note that no registrations may take place on the Saturday, Sunday or Monday prior to an election.

You may also use the "My Vote Wisconsin" website to register online.

Mail-In Registration

You may register to vote by mail up to 20 days before an election. Please allow sufficient time for mailing, as the form must reach our office by the 20-day cut-off. After the 20 day cut-off, you must come in to the Clerk-Treasurer's office to register in person.

When registering by mail, we encourage you to use the "My Vote Wisconsin" system. You are able to enter your information directly to the Wisconsin voter registration system. Please note, at this time, you are still required to print off the computer-generated form and mail it to City Hall, however, there is less chance of data-entry error, since we do not have to re-enter the information. Once the Clerk-Treasurer's staff receives your mailed copy, your registration will be active. If you do not mail in the form, your registration will NOT be activated, and you will not appear in the poll book.