Dane County voters will receive absentee ballots a week earlier than previous elections under a new partnership with Madison-based WPS Data Logistics, county and city officials announced Friday.
At a press conference held at the WPS printing facility, Dane County Clerk Scott McDonell said the earlier mailing timeline is intended to give voters more time to return their ballots before Election Day.
Wisconsin law requires absentee ballots to be received by election officials by 8 p.m. on Election Day in order to be counted. McDonnell said slower mail delivery in recent years has made timing an increasing concern, noting that mail from Madison is often routed through Milwaukee before returning to the city.
“Dane County voters will see their absentee ballots in the mail about a week earlier than this time last year,” McDonell said. “Please be on the lookout in your mailboxes and don’t wait to return your ballot.”
This change comes after Madison missed counting 193 absentee ballots in the 2024 presidential election. The Wisconsin Election Commission ordered the city the next August to make changes.
This additional week, he said, provides more time for ballots to travel through the mail system and be returned by voters.
“This change is a dramatic improvement,” McDonell said. “The high turnout and large population of Dane County can be a challenge when we’re working within a short window of time.”
Madison City Clerk Lydia McComas said the city plans to begin mailing absentee ballots Monday. Approximately 15,000 Madison voters who have requested absentee ballots will be among the first to receive them.
“Madison is a college town. We have lots of students studying abroad and lots of overseas voters,” McComas said. “This extra week will allow them to get their ballots to us.”
Voters can request and track absentee ballots through the My Vote Wisconsin website, where they can view when their request is processed, when their ballot is mailed and when it is received by election officials.
In addition to absentee ballots, WPS Data Logistics will also print Madison’s poll books, the official voter lists used by election inspectors at polling locations. This is another change WEC mandated.
Previously, the city printed poll books about a week before Election Day. Under the new process, they can be printed the weekend before the election, allowing election officials to include voters who cast in-person absentee ballots closer to Election Day.
“That means the accuracy of the poll books is far greater than it had been,” McComas said.
The new contract with WPS will also reduce costs. McDonell said Dane County taxpayers will save approximately $100,000 compared to the previous printing contract.
Following the press conference, reporters toured the WPS Data Logistics facility, where ballots are printed and prepared for distribution to municipalities through Dane County. During the tour, WPS officials demonstrated the printing equipment used to produce ballots and described the processes used to ensure accuracy and security.
Andrew McCready, vice president of WPS Data Logistics, said the company has extensive experience producing secure documents for federal and health care programs. He said similar safeguards, including controlled facility access, employee background checks and chain-of-custody procedures for ballot deliveries, are used in the election printing process.
“We’re proud to support elections in our hometown,” McCready said. “Our focus is simple: accurate, secure election materials delivered on time.”
Officials said the earlier mailing timeline and new printing process are part of ongoing efforts to improve election administration in Dane County and the City of Madison. The changes will be in place for upcoming elections as clerks continue preparing absentee ballots for distribution to voters.
