WISCONSIN (NBC 26) — Wisconsin election officials said Monday there were no significant issues reported ahead of Tuesday’s partisan primary election and reminded voters to return absentee ballots immediately if they have not already done so.
Wisconsin Elections Commission Administrator Meagan Wolfe said all absentee ballots must be received by 8 p.m. Tuesday to be counted. She encouraged voters to check polling locations, registration status and ballot information through the state’s MyVote website before heading to the polls.
Polls across Wisconsin will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, and anyone in line by 8 p.m. will still be allowed to vote, Wolfe said.
As of Monday afternoon, about 268,110 absentee ballots had been returned statewide, including mail-in and in-person absentee ballots. Wolfe said that was about 27,000 fewer than were returned ahead of Wisconsin’s August 2022 partisan primary.
Wolfe said turnout for Wisconsin partisan primaries typically ranges from 22% to 25% of eligible voters and noted officials do not yet know whether lower absentee returns signal lower turnout or more in-person voting on Election Day.
Election officials also reminded voters that Wisconsin has an open primary system, meaning voters may choose one party’s primary ballot but cannot vote across multiple parties’ contests.
Wolfe said the state remains in contact with Washburn County officials following a recent cyberattack but does not expect any impact on Tuesday’s election because the incident was unrelated to election systems.
She also said the Wisconsin Elections Commission continues investigating duplicate ballots issued in Green Bay ahead of the primary. Wolfe said she does not expect any changes for Green Bay voters Tuesday but said the commission could review possible next steps before ballots are issued for the November election.
