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UpdateWisconsinSunday, November 1, 2026

Absentee voting rose 7% in Wisconsin compared to 2022 midterms

Reporting by
WisPolitics
“Absentee voting ticks up 7% in Wisconsin compared to 2022 election”, Sunday, November 1, 2026
Read the full story
What happened

As of October 29, 633,073 absentee ballots had been returned in Wisconsin, up nearly 7% compared to 593,819 at the same point in the 2022 midterm election. In-person early voting was up 54% while mail-in and drop-box returns had fallen about 20%. A Pew Research Center survey linked the drop in mail-in returns to declining confidence in mail-in voting, which fell from 66% in 2022 to 53% in 2026 nationally.1

633,073
absentee ballots returned in Wisconsin as of October 29, 20261
593,819
absentee ballots returned at the same point in 20221
7%
increase in absentee voting compared to 20221
What it means in Wisconsin

What this means for Wisconsin voters

In-person absentee voting can start no earlier than October 20 and end no later than November 1, 2026, with hours set by each municipality.2 Absentee ballots must be received by 8 p.m. on Election Day.2

Key dates in Wisconsin

Election Day in 1 day
  1. Tue, Oct 20 · passed
    Early voting begins
  2. Thu, Oct 29 · passed
    Last day for mail ballot applications
  3. Sun, Nov 1 · passed
    Early voting ends
  4. Tue, Nov 3 · 1 day
    Election Day; Registration deadline; Mail ballots must arrive
  5. Tue, Nov 17 · 15 days
    County/Local certification
  6. Tue, Dec 1 · 29 days
    State certification

Every date in Wisconsin, and who certifies the election

More on this story
Wisconsin · Nov 2
In-person absentee voting jumped 54% in Wisconsin as mail slowed
Reporting by Votebeat
Wisconsin · Oct 29
Wisconsin absentee ballot returns reached 513,602 by late October
Reporting by AOL.com
The answers behind this
Mail and early votingVoting in Wisconsin, 2026How do I vote by mail or early in Wisconsin in 2026?When does my mail ballot have to arrive?

Explore this issue

OverviewUpdates In depthIn-person absentee voting jumped 54% in Wisconsin as mail slowed In depthFederal judge hears challenge to DOJ voter lists sent before election In depthFederal authorities charged two Canadians with noncitizen voting in Wisconsin In depth9th Circuit refused rehearing of lawsuit blocking Trump field operations In depthPro-voter groups sued Trump over order to set aside Washington ballots In depthVirginia Beach election board denies DOJ monitor access In depthMaricopa County asked DOJ to send only monitors without election convictions In depthFairfax County added two permanent ballot drop boxes In depthOregon reminded voters of ballot return deadline In depthVirginia NAACP told voters they don't have to talk to DOJ monitors In depthMaricopa County asked Justice Department to screen election monitors In depthJustice Department filed declaration on election monitors in NAACP lawsuit

Sources

  1. WisPolitics, https://jsonline.com/story/news/politics/elections/2026/10/29/absentee-voting-ticks-up-7-in-wisconsin-compared-to-2022-election/92500161007 · Sunday, November 1, 2026
  2. Vote.org, Wisconsin Election Center, https://www.vote.org/state/wisconsin/

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