The city of Madison reported issuing 13,288 absentee ballots for the current November election as of Thursday, according to a city press release.
Officials issued 6,706 absentee ballots to voters through the City Clerk’s office since last Monday. As of the press release Thursday, the ballot amounts were: 352 ballots Thursday, 999 Wednesday, 905 Tuesday, 817 Monday, 830 last Friday, 645 last Thursday, 734 last Wednesday, 715 last Tuesday and 709 last Monday.
A photo ID will not be required to vote in the November election. The City Clerk’s office will be open for voter registration and absentee voting Oct. 31 from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Voter lines have reportedly been very short, even during the lunch hour.
Voters who are confined to their homes indefinitely will receive an extra day in order to request an absentee ballot to be mailed to them from the Clerk’s Office.
According to Municipal Clerk Eric Christianson, the number of people voting so far is not the same as a presidential election year, but is still encouraging.
“For instance, today we had over 1,000 voters,” Christianson said. “Not presidential [turnout] numbers, but we’re averaging between 700 to 1,000 voters per day.”
In comparison, for the November 2010 election, the City Clerk’s Office issued 12,121 absentee ballots and 5,550 ballots over the counter.
