Midterm elections are taking place on Nov. 8, 2022, all across the country. This type of election happens every four years, resting in between each presidential election.

This article is going to go over the ways students can vote in this current election. However, this only applies to Wisconsin residents voting in the state of Wisconsin. Students from other states who plan to vote in their state elections need to vote in their own state or vote by absentee ballot.

Within this election, voters are voting for their governors, attorney generals, U.S. senators, state representatives, county sheriffs and local referendums. Voters can check who is on their ballot at My Vote Wisconsin.

Before voting in the election, students need to be registered to vote. For students who have voted in a previous election, no new registration is needed.

According to the UW-Eau Claire News page, students who need to register can do so up to Nov. 4 at the municipal clerk’s office. Students can also register to vote at the polling location when they go to vote.

To vote in this election, voters are also required to show a valid photo ID according to Democracy Works. This is used to prove they are who they say they are. These include driver’s licenses, passports, and Military ID cards.

According to the Blugold card office, students’ Blugold cards can also act as identification for voting as long as it includes a signature on the back. If your Blugold ID is expired, it can still work as long as you also have proof of enrollment at UW-Eau Claire.

For current on-campus university students, there will be a polling option on campus. According to the UW-Eau Claire website, Davies Student Center will have polling booths from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. for students to vote in the midterm election.

Also according to the UW-Eau Claire website, the ward a student resides in is needed on the ballot. Students who currently live in upper campus residence halls are a part of Ward 20. Students who live in lower campus residence halls are a part of Ward 24.

A current alternative to voting in person is an in-person absentee ballot. This type of ballot allows voters to vote on their own and turn their ballot in by themselves.

According to the Wisconsin Election Commission, any registered 18-year old American citizen who has resided in the district they intend to vote in for twenty-eight consecutive days can request an absentee ballot.

The UW-Eau Claire website says that students can vote absentee from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday any day from Oct. 25 to Nov. 4. Students can vote at Eau Claire City Hall, 203 Farwell St. using a drive-thru. 

According to Democracy Works, absentee ballots that are sent by mail can be requested up to Nov. 3. These types of ballots need to be mailed back and received at 8 p.m. on Nov. 8 or turned in in person by 8 p.m. on Nov. 8.

Students who chose to vote using an absentee ballot can track their ballot at My Vote Wisconsin to check the progress on the request, the ballot being sent and where the ballot is after mailing it back.

It is not certain when the results of the election will be out, but according to the results of the 2018 midterm elections, it is possible for the results to come out on Nov. 8 or early in the morning on Nov. 9. 

Fisher can be reached at [email protected].