Your Vote Counts!

Polls opened across Wisconsin at 7 a.m. this morning for the Presidential Primary and will close at 8 p.m.

The candidates have been campaigning hard in Wisconsin for about a week, sending the message that Wisconsin matters. So, the Primary here may go a long way toward determining who will be nominated for president.

The decision is in YOUR hands, the hands of voters.

State election officials expect a higher than usual voter turnout today. They anticipate 35% of Wisconsin voters to cast a ballot for this election, which is the highest voter turnout in 20 years.

You might want to take note that the busiest times for voting are expected to be before work from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m., and then after work from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

If you aren’t sure who you want to vote for, check out this site to help you decide on a candidate that’s perfect for you, and then get out there and vote!

If you don’t know where your polling location is, click here. And if you’re not registered, it’s not a problem. You can register at your polling place if you bring a drivers license or something else to prove who you are (a utility bill or pay stub). It’s extremely easy!

To make it even easier, my friend Mark broke it down for everyone on MySpace. Here's the scoop:

The bottom line is you can register at the polls if you bring proof of residence and your ID and you are a U.S. citizen and at least 18-years-old.

You must provide your Wisconsin driver's license or identification card, or if you have neither, you must have the last 4 digits of your Social Security Number.

You'll also need to prove that you've lived at your current residence for at least ten days before the election. The following documents will get you your ticket to vote, so long as they include your full name and your current, complete residential address. (Many of these items don't usually have all of those things, so you might have to bring more than one.)

• Wisconsin driver's license
• Wisconsin ID card
• Any other official identification card or license issued by a Wisconsin governmental body or an employer ID card. (Business cards don't count though.)
• Credit card
• Library card
• Check-cashing or courtesy card
• Real estate tax bill or receipt for the current year or the year preceding the date of the election.
• Residential lease that is effective for a period that includes election day.
• University, college or technical institute fee card
• University, college or technical institute identification card
• Airplane pilot's license
• Gas, electric or telephone service statement or bill that starts no earlier than 90 days before the election

He says that if you've recently moved, your best bet is to bring a gas, electric, or phone bill, or your lease if you're a renter. (Thanks Mark!)

If voting isn't enough and you want to get in more of the action, tonight Democratic followers will be rallied in Milwaukee. Clinton’s party will be held at Rock Bottom Brewery while Obama supporters will be down the road at Bar Louie as results are divulged.

This is only the beginning. Stay in the know about other important dates; primaries, caucuses, straw polls and general elections. If you have any questions about voting, how to register, becoming a pollworker or getting involved in the campaigns, take a look here.

Comments

[Eric]

Voting is today...oops. Looks like I won't be furthering democracy today. Doesn't matter I don't know who to vote for anyway. I prefer to not vote then just complain about everyoneELSE's bad decisions ;)

[suzieq]

Thanks for all the info, Karen.

And Eric, you should really vote! Otherwise you can't complain about the outcome; although this is just the beginning. The actual Presidential election is much more important.

[Mark]

I've never been more excited to vote in my entire life. I was voter #26 at the Charles Allis Art Museum this morning... Hopefully I was the 26th vote for Barack Obama! :)

And Eric, I don't want to be mean.. but you're an idiot.

[Karen]

It's a very close race, so it's good to get out there and vote. Polls are still open for another two hours, so if you haven't gone yet, you still have plenty of time, especially because there are polling locations all over the place!

We seriously have the power to make a difference as we are trying to narrow it down to the two likely nominees. Wouldn't it be nice to say you were part of the decision?

Good work for getting out there in this cold weather to vote! But let's not resort to name calling, guys. Eric still has some time to cast a ballot! (I think he was just joking around anyway) :)

[Amanda]

I'm glad you put that link to the site that helps you find the candidate that's best for you. It was seriously useful for me because I was on the fence about which Democrat to vote for. But I went out today and I put in my vote! Thanks.

[Mark]

I feel bad about calling Eric an idiot. It's just that this election is so incredibly important to me... all elections are important (even the local ones) but this one struck a cord inside. I know this isn't the right reaction but when I hear people say they're not voting, it's insulting.

Your vote determines the direction and fate of our country. It affects everything from potential Supreme Court nominees to the policies in our schools. Less than 100 votes has been the difference in many elections... to think your vote doesn't matter shows an extreme lack of understanding and unfortunate ignorance.

On a final note, I'm happy to hear that you think he was joking. :)

[Karen]

Sometimes you have to give people the benefit of the doubt. And since I know Eric, I'm certain that he was just being sarcastic (which isn't always easy to recognize on the web).

I understand where you are coming from and it's great that you care about the outcome of this election and the overall wellbeing of our country. You should be proud.

[Eric]

Yeah it's hard to write sarcasticly on the web...
I actually didn't end up voting, my reasoning being that I am torn between two candidates and I'd honestly be happy with either one being elected so I'll wait to see which one finishes the race and then vote when I need to.