City issues record number of absentee ballots

The number of absentee ballots cast and issued in Madison has already broken records with more than two weeks of early voting availability still left.

The City of Madison clerk had issued 35,497 absentee ballots as of Tuesday, with 31,421 of those already counted. This broke previous records set in 2008 and 2012.

The number of in-person absentee ballots cast also shattered the previous record; 26,527 were cast so far this year compared with 18,752 in 2012.

Early voting in Madison has been expanded this year, with increases in both the early voting period and number of locations for the 2016 elections. A federal court struck down a state law earlier this year which had restricted the early voting period to two weeks before Election Day. The law would also have forbidden weekend hours for voting and only allowed cities to designate one location for ballots to be cast.

After the law was struck down, the city clerk’s office began accepting in-person absentee ballots Sept. 26 at 11 locations around the city. This was increased to 13 locations this week and will expand to 14 next week.

Early voting locations recently opened on the UW–Madison campus as well. Voting began Monday at Union South and the Student Activity Center. The Union South polling place is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., while the SAC polling place is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.,except for Oct. 29 due to Freakfest.