More COVID-19 Update: Spring Election

This from Marc G in Dudgeon-Monroe:

Hi Tag,
 

I suggest adding this bit about voting from https://www.cityofmadison.com/health-safety/coronavirus/service-updates

Absentee Voting

The Clerk’s Office must receive your ballot by April 7. Because we don’t have much time for ballots to arrive in the mail, the Library is opening up three book drops just for voters returning their absentee ballots (sealed in their certificate envelopes). The Clerk’s Office will retrieve ballots from these locations daily. You may drop off your ballot at one of these locations beginning Wednesday, April 1, and by noon on Election Day, Tuesday, April 7:

• Pinney Library drop box – 516 Cottage Grove Road
• Sequoya Library drop box – 4340 Tokay Boulevard
• Central Library drop box – 201 W Mifflin Street”

Hi Everyone.

Next Tuesday's election is still on as the Federal Court has basically punted the issue back to Gov Evers and the State Legislature to resolve. Many of us are hoping the State will figure out a way to postpone the election for at least three weeks. 

In the meantime, today is the last day to request an absentee ballot. Send your absentee request to voting@cityofmadison.com. Be sure to include your name, address at which you are registered to vote, email address to which the ballot should be sent, and a copy or picture of your voter ID (if not already on file in the Clerk's Office). The deadline to request an absentee ballot is 5:00 pm today.

You will receive your ballot and absentee certification statement as attachments to an email message. You will need to print the ballot and certification statement on paper and send them back to the City Clerk's Office through the mail. Absentee ballots must be received in the Clerk's Office in time for delivery to the polls on Election Day.

If this feels too tight and you don't want to deal with the risk of voting at your polling place on election day, please take advantage of curbside voting. (Kudos to the Mayor and the Clerk's office for setting this up). 

Due to COVID-19 precautions for the April 2020 Election, the City of Madison has reserved parking meters on the 200 block of Martin Luther King, Jr., Boulevard for any City of Madison voter to register and/or vote from the curb.  Just pull up to a parking meter in front of the City-County Building or Madison Municipal Building with a "No Parking - Police Order sign."  If you have a cell phone, you can call the number posted on the sign at the meter to begin the curbside voting process.  Otherwise, wave at one of the election officials standing in front of the building, wearing a bright yellow vest.  Two officials will bring your ballot to your vehicle and will check your voter ID at your vehicle.  If you have your own pen to use, wave it at the officials as they approach your vehicle.  (Note, staff are sanitizing clipboards and pens after each use.)

If you had the Clerk's Office mail you an absentee ballot and you need a witness, you may use the curbside voting process for that purpose.

Curbside voting continues today, 8 am to 6pm, and wraps up tomorrow, 9 am to 1 pm.

Polling locations have changed for some of you, which I posted about yesterday. I'm worried that voters with mobility issues who live at the Triangle and at Romnes will need help getting to their new polling sites. Perhaps Metro could dedicate a couple of buses, or maybe the many idled school buses could be employed. I'm hopeful this will be resolved and will report to you should I hear anything from the City.

The Clerk's office staff, joined by city staff from other departments and volunteers from the community have been putting in countless hours to make sure the election is safe and accessible to all who wish to vote. I'm grateful to Mayor Satya and her team for their leadership in this trying time.

That's all for now. It's my goal to keep you informed and up to date in this very fluid situation.

If you have suggestions, questions, or concerns, or if you need assistance in any way, you may reach me via email at district13@cityofmadison.com or by phone at 608.424.2580. Take good care of yourself, look out for each other, and stay healthy!

Be safe. Be well. Be kind.

Tag