The first widely available absentee ballots are now available in Wisconsin as the state begins its election season.

Today, thousands of voters in Wisconsin will receive their ballots for the presidential race.

In Wisconsin, the campaigns will spend the next 47 days intensely battling for every vote, with Vice President Harris and former President Trump separated by just one point.

By the end of the month, voting will commence in various forms for numerous voters in over half of the states, including Michigan and North Carolina.

Wisconsin is one of the most competitive states this cycle

In 2016, Wisconsin was one of three Rust Belt states that voted for Trump, but in 2020, it flipped back to the Democrats, with President Biden winning the state by a narrow margin of just 20,682 votes or 0.7 points.

The state's White working class population is a defining characteristic, with 58% of its voters being White without a college degree, which is 15 points higher than the national electorate.

In the last presidential cycle, Trump won this state by 11 points, and he aims to maintain or increase his margin to secure the state for the GOP.

To maintain a significant vote count in the cities and surrounding areas, Democrats aim to mobilize Black and suburban voters in highly populated blue vote areas such as Milwaukee and Madison, which make up nearly a quarter of the statewide vote.

Key races in Wisconsin

Besides the gubernatorial race, Wisconsin's ballot also features a Senate contest and eight House races, with the most closely contested being the Senate and House races.

• Eric Hovde, a Republican banker, will challenge Democratic senator Tammy Baldwin for a third term in the Senate. The race is considered Lean D on the Planet Chronicle Power Rankings.
• The 1st district of Wisconsin, which includes Kenosha, has been held by Republican Rep. Bryan Steil since 2019. This election, Steil is facing off against local Democrat Peter Barca. According to the Power Rankings, this race is likely to favor the Republican party.
• In the 2018 midterms, Wisconsin's 3rd district saw a Republican victory when GOP Rep. Derrick Van Orden flipped a seat. His district includes blue-leaning areas such as Eau Claire and La Crosse. In the upcoming election, Van Orden will face Democratic small business owner Rebecca Cooke. This race is considered Likely R on the Power Rankings.

How to vote in Wisconsin

To obtain complete and current information on voter qualifications, procedures, and cutoffs, visit Vote.gov and the Wisconsin elections website.

Registering to vote

Until October 16, voters in Wisconsin can register online or by mail.

On Election Day, voters who missed the registration date can still register by submitting a signed and completed registration form along with proof of evidence to a municipal clerk or a polling place.

Voting

Early voting in Wisconsin is similar to other states, where voters can cast their ballots either in person or by mail, or on election day in person.

Early voting

Voting by mail

An absentee ballot can be cast by any Wisconsin registered voter without needing an excuse.

To vote by absentee ballot, voters must follow these steps: request an absentee ballot, fill it out with an eligible witness, and place it in a signed, sealed, and certified envelope. The full list of steps can be found online.

On Election Day, ballots can be returned through various methods such as mail, at a clerk's office, or at an assigned polling place or absentee counting location.

Once a voter submits their ballot, they can track its status online.

Voting in person

Starting October 8, voters in Wisconsin can cast their absentee ballot at various locations, including clerk's offices and libraries.

Voting on election day

On election day, voters can cast their ballot in person at their designated polling station.

Upcoming early voting dates

Wisconsin is the first state to begin election season in earnest with absentee ballots distributed to a broad group of voters.

On tomorrow, Virginia will become the first state to permit in-person early voting, while seven other states will provide absentee ballots.

By the end of the month, 27 jurisdictions will have started some kind of voting.

To obtain comprehensive and up-to-date information on voter eligibility, processes, and deadlines, visit Vote.gov and the Wisconsin elections website.