Wisconsin In-Person Absentee Voting Surges Amid Postal Delays
Wisconsin voters are shifting to in-person absentee voting after U.S. Postal Service cost-cutting measures caused mail delays in rural jurisdictions.
In-person absentee voting in Wisconsin has increased by 54% compared to 2022, with more than 344,000 ballots cast. This shift is most significant in rural counties, where 16 jurisdictions saw in-person early voting double. While the highest volume of new early voters is found in populous counties like Milwaukee, Dane, and Waukesha, the trend is driven by concerns over mail reliability in rural areas.
United States Postal Service cost-cutting measures reduced mail pickups from twice daily to once daily in most of the state, excluding the Milwaukee metro area and parts of northwestern Wisconsin. These changes created delivery delays that risk ballots arriving after the 8 p.m. Election Day deadline.
Local officials have responded to the instability. Clark County Clerk Christina Nolan reported a 180% increase in in-person absentee voting. In Manitowish Waters, Town Clerk Heather Suffron expanded early voting hours to accommodate concerned voters. Namakagon Town Clerk Laura Bjork noted that voters are switching to in-person methods because mail service has become unreliable.
