Voter Registration
New voters in Waupaca need to register prior to voting. A voter registration form is available on the City website or in person at City Hall if you wish to register prior to an election. Residents should bring proof of residency with them; this may be your driver’s license or state ID card with current address. Call City Hall for examples of other acceptable forms of proof of residency.
Election Location
Voting is held at the Waupaca Recreation Center at 407 School St. in Waupaca. Polls are open from 7:00am – 8:00pm on Election Day. All City of Waupaca residents vote at this location.
Absentee Ballot
If you are unable to vote on the day of an election you may request an absentee ballot. Details are available on the City Website or at City Hall prior to an election.
Find out What Ward You are In:
Find out what ward you are in (Ward Map | Address Listing)
Find out if you are registered to vote
Visit MyVote Wisconsin to check if you are currently registered to vote. If not, you can register online.
Voting ID
How to Get a Photo ID
If you are eligible to vote in Wisconsin, but do not have a Wisconsin Identification Card or Wisconsin Driver’s License, you are eligible to receive a free state ID for voting purposes. | Getting a Photo ID
If your spiritual beliefs prevent you from being photographed, you can receive a State ID card or driver’s license without a photo at any Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) office.
The following photo IDs are acceptable for voting purposes, and can be unexpired or expired after the date of the most recent general election:
- A Wisconsin DOT-issued driver license, even if expired, revoked or suspended.
- A Wisconsin DOT-issued identification card (available for free, see below)
- Military ID card issued by a U.S. uniformed service (veteran ID card not included)
- A U.S. passport book or card
The following photo IDs are also acceptable for voting purposes, but must be unexpired:
- A certificate of naturalization that was issued not earlier than two years before the date of an election at which it is presented
- A driver license receipt issued by Wisconsin DOT (valid for 45 days)
- An identification card receipt issued by Wisconsin DOT (valid for 45 days)
- An identification card issued by a federally recognized Indian tribe in Wisconsin
- A photo identification card issued by a Wisconsin accredited university or college that contains the following:
- Date of issuance
- Signature of Student
- Expiration date no later than two years after date of issuance
- The university or college ID must be accompanied by a separate document that proves enrollment
Badger Books
What is a Badger Book? It is an electronic poll book. They will be used to check in voters, print tally slips, enter registrations, and record absentee voters.
These electronic poll books will work the same as paper. For instance, just as a voter would sign the paper poll book to get a tally slip in order to get a ballot, the voter will sign the Badger Book. The election inspector will still look up the voters’ names in the poll book, voters will still sign the poll book, and voters will still get a tally slip (voter number). The only difference is that all of this will be done electronically using the Badger Books.
The actual process of voting will not change at all. Voters will still vote on paper ballots and will still place those ballots in the tabulator. The tabulator is not connected to the Badger books in any way.
The Badger Books are not connected to the internet or to any other outside source. They are connected only to each other by a private network within the polling place.
Watch for updates regarding using The Badger Books for City of Waupaca elections!
BADGER BOOK RECAP:
- They are poll books. They check in voters and produce a voter number on a slip of paper for each voter.
- They are also used to register voters, and to process absentee ballots.
- When voters check in, they will give their names and addresses to the election inspectors, just as they have in the past. The only difference will be that the inspectors will be looking up voter names electronically, rather than in paper poll books. Voters’ signatures will still be required, but voters will sign their names on an electronic screen using their fingers or a stylus, rather than in the paper poll book.
WHAT THEY ARE NOT:
- They are not voting machines – you cannot cast votes on them. Voting will continue to be done on paper ballots.
- They are not vote tabulators – they do not count votes. The vote tabulation process will not change.
- They are not connected to the internet or any other outside source. They are connected to a server through a router within each polling place that allows the books to talk to each other. They communicate only with each other.
