Wisconsin Elections Commission sends mailing to eligible but unregistered voters

The Wisconsin Elections Commission is sending postcards to people who are eligible but not registered to vote(Wisconsin Elections Commission)
Published: Jul. 1, 2022 at 2:49 PM CDT

MADISON, Wis. (WBAY) - During the week America celebrates its freedom and independence, Wisconsin election officials are encouraging people to register to vote.

The week of July 4, the Wisconsin Elections Commission is mailing approximately 178,500 postcards to Wisconsin residents who appear to be eligible to vote but aren’t registered. The postcards, which will bear an image saying “Official Election Mail,” will tell people how to register online at MyVote.wi.gov and give them a toll-free number to ask questions. The postcard does not include a registration form, but it can be used as proof of residence for registering.

The mailing is required before a general election by the state’s membership in the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC). That system generates a mailing list based on people who were issued a Wisconsin driver’s license or state ID since the last mailing. People who aren’t eligible to vote, such as people serving a felony sentence, or people who recently moved but didn’t provide a forwarding address to the U.S. Postal Service are removed from the list.

The Wisconsin Elections Commission says some people who are currently registered to vote might receive a postcard by mistake. The system isn’t perfect if there’s mismatched information in the databases. The postcard does not mean their voter registration might be deactivated. Voters can call their municipal clerk or the toll-free number on the card, or visit the MyVote.wi.gov website to confirm their status and correct any data errors.

This year’s mailing is smaller than previous years. For the elections two years ago, it sent 198,600 postcards to people who might be eligible to vote but weren’t registered. In 2018, it mailed 384,000.

Elections officials have previously sent postcards to registered voters who didn’t participate in any election for four years and voters whose address had changed.

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