Belleville, WI

Voter Photo ID Required at Election

Currently you do need to show a photo ID to vote. 

All voters must show proof of residence to register to vote, and a driver license or state ID card with a current address are just two of many documents can use to prove they are residents. A full list is available here: http://gab.wi.gov/publications/voter-guides/proof-of-residence.

Also, voters who have a Wisconsin driver license or state ID card are required to provide the card number on the voter registration form. Voters who do not have a driver license or state ID card can use the last four digits of their Social Security number instead.

Be Prepared

The Wisconsin Division of Motor Vehicles has a process to allow people to obtain a free State ID card for voting purposes, even if the person does not have a birth certificate.

More information is available at the Wisconsin DMV website.

For specific questions about voting, please contact our office at 424-3341 or stop by 24 W. Main Street during regular business hours, 8 AM to 5 PM, Monday through Friday.

Voters are also encouraged to visit the Wisconsin Elections Commission’s voter services website, www.myvote.wi.gov, for information about voting.

The federal "Help American Vote Act of 2002" requires any person registering to vote to supply his or her Wisconsin Department of Transportation-issued driver's license number.  If you do not have a Wisconsin driver's license you must provide the last four digits of your Social Security Number OR your Wisconsin state ID card number. If the elector does not have a current, valid Wisconsin driver’s license, Wisconsin state ID card, or Social Security Number, the applicant may indicate this by filling in the appropriate circle on the registration form. 

THE REGISTRATION CANNOT BE PROCESSED UNTIL THE ELECTOR PROVIDES THIS INFORMATION.

You have three options to register:

1. BY MAIL:  Download the Application for Voter Registration (EL-131), complete the form and mail to the municipal clerk's office at P.O. Box 79, Belleville WI 53508. The application must be postmarked no later than the 20th day (3rd Wednesday) before the election. Proof of residence must be provided when registering by mail.

PLEASE NOTE:  State and federal law now requires that any first-time voter submitting a registration application by mail provide a copy of an acceptable identifying document that provides proof of residence.  (A “first-time voter” is an individual who has not voted in an election in Wisconsin.) Acceptable forms of proof of residence are outlined below. Please note that first-time voters registering by mail may not use a residential lease as proof of residence. The copy of the form of proof of residence must be included when submitting the registration application.  If a copy of proof of residence is not included, the elector will be required to supply it before being issued a ballot at the polling place or before being issued an absentee ballot in the municipal clerk’s office.

2. IN PERSON: Register in the municipal clerk's office up to 5:00 PM or the close of business whichever is later on the Friday before the election. Note: An elector registering in person in the clerk's office is required to present acceptable proof of residence as outlined below.

3. AT THE POLLING PLACE ON ELECTION DAY:  If you wish to register to vote at your polling place, you must bring proof that you have lived at your present location for at least 10 days preceding the election. For purposes of voter registration, acceptable forms of proof of residence must include:

• A current and complete name, including both the given and family name; and
• A current and complete residential address, including a numbered street address, if any, and the name of a municipality.**Forms with an expiration date must be valid on Election Day.

WHAT IS ACCEPTABLE PROOF OF RESIDENCE?

The following constitute acceptable Proof-of-Residence if the document contains the information specified above:

• A current and valid Wisconsin driver 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 residential lease which is effective for a period that includes election day (NOT for first-time voters registering by mail).
• A university, college or technical institute fee card (must include photo).
• A university, college or technical institute identification card (must include photo).
• 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 issued by a unit of government.

Updating Voter Registration Information

If you move your residence or change your name, you are required to update your voter registration information.  This is done by filling out form EL-131 and sending it to your local municipal clerk's office. Proof of residence must be provided whenever you re-register.

Public Information and Confidentiality

Information in your voter registration record, except your date of birth, driver license number, the last four digits of your Social Security Number, and any special accommodation needs for persons with disabilities, are considered public information in Wisconsin, and may be obtained by anyone making a voter data request. Electors who are victims of domestic abuse, sexual assault or stalking have the option to be listed confidentially on poll lists, and their information will not be released through voter data requests.  Click here for more information.

What is an Absentee Ballot?

Not all voters can get to the polling place on election day.   An absentee ballot is the printed ballot marked by an absent voter, sealed in a special envelope, and given or mailed to the municipal clerk. The municipal clerk ensures that each absentee ballot that is returned in a timely manner gets to the right polling place on election day.   If accepted, the absentee ballot is counted as if the voter had cast the ballot in person.

Who can request and receive an absentee ballot?

Any qualified elector who registers to vote. (A qualified elector is a United States citizen, 18 years of age or older, who has resided in the district in which he or she intends to vote for at least 10 days.)

Elderly and disabled voters (who qualify as indefinitely confined) may request a permanent absentee ballot to be mailed to them for each election.  Permanent absentee voters do not need to provide an ID.

How Does an Elector Request an Absentee Ballot?

The request is made to the municipal clerk in writing by using the Application For Absentee Ballot (EL-121) or by letter requesting an absentee ballot which provides substantially the same information required on the application form. In either case, the elector making the request must sign the “application.” (If a request is made for more than one person residing at the same address, each person must sign the request.) You must include a copy of your Photo ID with your Absentee Ballot request.

What Are The Deadlines for Making an Absentee Ballot Request?

If the request is made by mail it must be in the office of the municipal clerk no later than 5:00 p.m. on the Thursday preceding an election. (This is the last day a clerk can mail or (temporarily email by judge's court order) an absentee ballot to a regular elector.) Our mailing address is Village of Belleville, P.O. Box 79, Belleville, WI  53508.

You may vote  in-person at the clerk's office until 5:00 p.m. on the Friday preceding the election. The Clerk’s office is located at 24 West Main Street, Belleville, WI  53508

Special provisions are made for hospitalized electors and sequestered jurors to request and vote by absentee ballot on election day.

Are Absentee Ballots Ever Rejected?

Yes. Along with meeting all the usual requirements, voters who vote by absentee ballot must follow special rules in completing and signing the certificate on the ballot envelope, and having the certificate witnessed.
If any of these rules aren't followed, election officials at the polling place must reject the absentee ballot.  These rules replace the safeguards normally present when a voter appears in person at the polling place.

If a voter casts an absentee ballot, but dies before election day, can the ballot be counted?

No.  Absentee voting procedures allow an elector to complete a ballot before election day.  However, absentee ballots are not considered cast until election day.  If the voter is deceased at the time the absentee ballot is being processed at the polling place, the ballot cannot be counted.      S. 6.21, Wis. Stats. 3/12/2003

Can a Power of Attorney (POA) complete an Application for Absentee Ballot for an elector?

Yes.  A Power of Attorney can request an absentee ballot for an elector.  No person (not even a POA) may "vote" a ballot for another elector.  If the elector requires assistance in completing the ballot, the elector may designate another person to assist the elector in marking the ballot.*  In the presence of the elector, the ballot is marked according to the elector's direction.  The assisting elector must sign their name on the ballot under the section entitled "Signature of Assisting Individual."

*The assisting elector cannot be the elector's employer or an agent of that employer or an officer or agent of a labor organization which represents the elector. S. 6.82(2)(a), Wis. Stats. 3/12/2003

Polling Place Location and Hours:

• The Polling Place for all Village of Belleville residents is located at the Belleville Village Hall, 24 West Main Street, Belleville.
• The Polling Place is open on Election Day from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Click on this site to check your registration status, find your polling place, and learn who your elected representatives are.

Visit the Wisconsin Elections Commission's website to see deadlines and get copies of the forms you need. The Village of Belleville uses nomination papers (not caucus). Generally, each of the following forms must be completed and filed on time by candidates for municipal office in order for the candidate's name to be placed on the ballot at the February Spring Primary (if held) and the April Spring Election.

• Complete and submit a Campaign Registration Statement (CF-1) to the Village Clerk no later than 5:00 p.m. on the first Tuesday in January. File as soon as intent to seek elective office is known and before funds are collected or spent. Wis. Stat. §§ 11.05(2g), 11.10(1). 

All candidates should file a campaign registration statement or amended statement before circulating nomination papers.

• Circulate and submit Nomination Paper for Nonpartisan Office (EL-169) to the Village Clerk. Original nomination papers (no photocopies, faxes, or emailed documents) must be received by the filing officer no later than 5:00 p.m. on the first Tuesday in January, or the candidate’s name will not be placed on the ballot. Nomination papers may not be circulated before December 1.

The number of signatures required is as follows:

All village and town offices: 20 - 100 signatures

• Complete and submit a Declaration of Candidacy (EL-162) to the Village Clerk no later than 5:00 p.m. on the first Tuesday in January. This form must be filed no later, or the candidate’s name will not be placed on the ballot. If the form is faxed or emailed, the original document must follow postmarked no later than January 6, 2015. Wis. Stat. §§ 8.10(5), 8.21, 8.30(4), Wis. Admin. Code GAB § 6.04.