By james art 
GREEN BAY, Wis. (WBAY) – On Tuesday, polls open at 7 a.m. for polling day, where Americans can vote and make their voices heard in this presidential election.
Preparation is an understatement here in Wisconsin, where more than 1,900 local election officials will be conducting voting procedures across the state.
As Election Day approaches, officials want to remind voters to seek election information from official sources, such as Action 2 News or the Wisconsin Commission on Elections. Do not rely on third-party groups for election information.
Here are some things to remember when voting in Wisconsin.
When polls open at 7 a.m. Tuesday, local election officials will begin counting the state’s more than 1.5 million absentee ballots. Officials say it will take time, so don’t be surprised if we don’t get unofficial results when the polls close at 8 p.m.
“Election officials will always prioritize accuracy, integrity and transparency over speed, just because waiting until the early hours of the morning doesn’t mean something went wrong, they prioritize accuracy over speed to make sure the ballots are counted,” said Megan Wolfe, Administrator of the Wisconsin Board of Elections.
If you still have your absentee ballot by mail, it’s too late to mail it. Contact your clerk to see what your options are, whether to drop it off in person or box it up.
If you submitted your completed absentee ballot and tracking through myvote.wi.gov shows that your clerk has not yet received it, call the clerk to find out what your options are.
“We have weekly calls with the post office to make sure things aren’t widespread, but we haven’t heard anything widespread regarding the post office,” Wolfe said.
For the day, voters remember that under Wisconsin law, employees are allowed to take up to three consecutive hours off on Election Day to vote, but make sure you notify your employer in advance.
“What this advance notice does is it also gives the employer some right, now they have notice, the employee will have to take up to 3 hours off, arrange cover for the employee during a shift and can also set the hours, that the employee will leave the work day, so look at the needs of the business and figure out which 3 hours work best for them,” said Rebecca Kent of McCarty Law.
When you go to the polls, don’t forget a valid photo ID. Also, Wisconsin law prohibits anyone from displaying the ballot they voted on, so keep selfies out of the ballot box. As for election observers, they will be present, there may even be from the Ministry of Justice.
“The interaction that voters should expect with government entities will not be any different than normal at the polls, there will be no impact on the process,” Wolff said.
The results announced tomorrow, which we will all be watching, are considered unofficial. In the coming days, these numbers will be checked, double and triple checked before being certified. As the vote is a public act, it will also be open to public scrutiny.
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