Voting FAQ's
The following is a link to the State Elections Board Frequently Asked Questions that will assist you as a voter seeking information on such topics as voter registration and absentee voting.
Voter Public Access
Am I properly registered? Who are my elected representatives? How can I contact them? Where is my polling place? What is on the ballot for the next election? These are all common questions voters have. Thanks to the Statewide Voter Registration System, all these questions, and more, can be answered by Voter Public Access (VPA). VPA is a website that is the culmination of all the information collected in the Statewide Voter Registration System.
https://vpa.wi.gov/
If you are a current registered voter in the state of Wisconsin, you can search for information in VPA by using your name. When your personal record comes up, you will be able to see the address at which you are currently registered. Remember, you must be registered in your current municipality in order to be able to vote. There are a few exceptions to this rule such as when you have moved to your municipality less than 10 days prior to an election. If you have moved to your current address less than 10 days prior to an election, you must vote in your prior municipality. There is an exception in Presidential elections only for those people who have moved to a Wisconsin municipality from out of state during that 10-day period. Those electors may vote in their new Wisconsin municipality, but they will be given only a Presidential ballot. If you have questions regarding your qualifications to vote, please contact the municipal clerk.
If you know that you are not registered in the state of Wisconsin, but you would like to see the information available for your current address, you may search VPA by your address. All information available for your municipality will be shown on VPA.
If you must vote on a provisional ballot on Election Day, you may check on the status of your provisional ballot in the days following the election using the third option in VPA. The municipal clerk or chief inspector at your polling place will give you all the information you will need at the time of your provisional vote.
Please note that sample ballots are only available in VPA approximately one month prior to an election. Municipal clerks must perform certain steps in the Statewide Voter Registration System before the sample ballot can appear. If an election is near and your sample ballot is not appearing in VPA, please continue to check back periodically.
Are you interested in running for town office?
Town offices are non-partisan. Officers are up for re-election in April of odd-numbered years and two supervisor positions in even-numbered years.
If you are interested in running for a town office, you may circulate nomination papers beginning December 1 through 5:00 p.m. on the first Tuesday in January prior to the spring election.
You must contact the town clerk to inform him/her of your intentions to seek office. You may download the candidate forms or obtain them from the clerk. You will need an EB-1 Campaign Registration Statement, EB-162 Declaration of Candidacy, and EB-169 Nomination Paper for Non-Partisan Office. GABIS-7 Ballot Access Checklist will assist you in the filing process. The forms must be filed in the clerk's office by 5:00 p.m. on the first Tuesday in January preceding the election. This link will assist you in the process of running for town office.
Your Representatives:
Wisconsin's U.S. Senators are Sen. Herb Kohl and Sen. Ron Johnson
Town of Cooperstown U.S. Congressional District of Wisconsin, Rep. Tom Petri
State Election Website:
To request an absentee ballot:
http://gab.wi.gov/forms/gab-121-english. Fill in the form and mail it in to receive a ballot by mail.
Wisconsin Election Laws:
Photo ID and Other Recent Changes- Effective 2012
To run for office in Town of Cooperstown:
General information for local government candidacy: http://gab.wi.gov/elections-voting/candidates/local
The following links provide you with the necessary needed to be filed with the Town Clerk no later than 5:00pm on January 3th, 2012 if you wish to run for Town Supervisor.
http://gab.wi.gov/forms/GAB-1 - Registration Statement
http://gab.wi.gov/forms/GAB-162 - Declaration of Candidacy
http://gab.wi.gov/forms/GAB-169 - Nomination paper for nonpartisan office. (you need a minimum of 20 signatures and they must be from someone who at least 18 years of age and reside in the Town of Cooperstown.)