How Do I Know If Where I Live Qualifies as a Residential Care Facility?
Residential care facilities include nursing homes, Community-Based Residential Facilities (CBRF), retirement homes, residential care apartment complexes or adult family homes that are licensed or certified by the state.
Wisconsin law requires municipal clerks to appoint two Special Voting Deputies (SVDs) to conduct voting in certain residential care facilities. The municipal clerk may also appoint SVDs to conduct voting in other qualified residential care facilities and retirement homes.
Are voters in care facilities required to provide a photo ID?
Voters in residential care facilities visited by SVDs and voters in residential care facilities not visited by SVDs have different photo ID requirements.
For voters in residential care facilities visited by SVDs, the signature of both SVDs on the Absentee Ballot Certification Envelope satisfies the photo ID requirement. If you cannot vote while your SVDs are visiting, please contact your municipal clerk.
For voters in residential care facilities NOT visited by SVDs
There are three options:
- The voter can provide no photo ID, if they are indefinitely confined. Please see the “Indefinitely Confined” page.
- The voter can provide a copy of their photo ID with their absentee application or completed absentee ballot. Once a copy of the photo ID is provided, the voter is not required to submit ID again unless they change their name or address.
- The voter can have an authorized representative of the facility complete the “Certification of Care Facility Authorized Representative” section of the Absentee Ballot Certificate Envelope. The witness section of the Absentee Ballot Certificate Envelope must also be completed and the representative of the facility can act as the witness. Both sections must be completed each time the elector votes.