Election Day - November 4, 2014

So, you’re a UWM Student who wants to vote.

First, #awesome.

Second, if this is the first election you are voting in, we have some tips for you regarding polling places and registering to vote. (actually, these are good tips for anyone, even if you have voted in previous elections).

How to Register?

REGISTER AT YOUR VOTING SITE ON ELECTION DAY (valid on election day only)
You may register and vote at your voting site on any Election Day.

Establishing & Proving Residency

Establishing Residency

To be register to vote with your UW-Milwaukee address, you need to have lived at that address for at least 28 days prior to the election. If you have moved within the 28 days prior to the election, you would still be eligible to vote (possibly via absentee ballot) at your old address.

Proving Residency

To prove your residence, you will need to provide some documentation, the rules for which are below (taken from City of Milwaukee Election Commission website):

“2013 Wisconsin Act 182 went into effect on April 4, 2014. Act 182 requires that ALL voters provide a document establishing their proof of residence as part of the voter registration application. The requirement applies to all electors who are not military or permanent absentee voters.  Any document used as a proof of residence MUST include:

• Your current and complete name
• Your current and complete residential address
• A visible account or document number (if applicable)

AND must be from one of the following proof of residence document types: 

• A current and valid Wisconsin driver’s license.
• A current and valid Wisconsin identification card.
• Any other official identification card or license issued by a Wisconsin governmental body or unit.
• Any identification card issued by an employer in the normal course of business and bearing a photo of the card holder, but not including a business card.
• A real estate tax bill or receipt for the current year or the year preceding the date of the election.
• A gas, electric or telephone service statement (utility bill) for the period commencing not earlier than 90 days before Election Day.
• Bank statement.
• Paycheck.
• A check or other document or official correspondence issued by a unit of government (this includes official mail from a public high school or state college or university, such as MPS or UW-Milwaukee).
• A university, college, or technical college identification card (must include photo) ONLY if the voter provides a fee receipt dated within the last 9 months or the institution provides a certified housing list to the municipal clerk.
• A residential lease which is effective for a period that includes Election Day (cannot be used when registering by mail)

**Please note: you are able to redact (black out) private information such as account balances or transactions on your proof of residence document. However, the last four (4) digits of your account number (if applicable), name and address must remain visible.”

As a UWM Student – you have access to print a document (see: Student Voter Enrollment Letter) via PAWS that will print your current address to allow you to establish residency.

Student Voter Enrollment Letter: This letter can be printed off PAWS on a self-service basis, starting on October 1.  The link to generate the letter appears in Personal Information section on the PAWS Student Center.  Instructions are provided through the self-service process that informs students on how to update their mailing address in PAWS, which prints on the enrollment letter and must reflect the student's local address based on their voting location.  

Students who do not have proof of their current local address can provide the student voter enrollment letter or another acceptable proof of residency document (e.g., utility bill, paycheck, bank statement, etc.) with their current name and address to register to vote, if they are not already registered to vote.

More information on proof of residency for voter registration is also available via the GAB at http://gab.wi.gov/voters/first-time .

Where to Vote?

For the purposes of this section, we’ll focus our attention on University Housing residents. Are you a UWM student who commutes or lives off-campus? Check out myvote.wi.gov to see where you should vote.

Cambridge     Ward 136      Urban Ecology Center

                                                1500 E. Park Place

Kenilworth     Ward 180      Maryland Avenue School

                                                2418 N. Maryland Ave.

Purin              Ward 131      Plymouth Church                 

                                                2717 E. Hampshire Ave.

RiverView       Ward 137      Gordon Park Pavilion

                                                1321 E. Locust St.

Sandburg       Ward 130      Sandburg Green Room        

                                                3400 N. Maryland Ave.