My vote Wisconsin

I have cast my vote, Wisconsin, and I’m feeling generous.

So, I’d like to donate all the political phone calls , commercials, mailers and online ads that obviously would be wasted on me to any of my fellow Americans who might still be undecided. You’re very welcome.

Normally, as I’ve mentioned before, I am an election day voter who really enjoys watching that ballot get sucked into that machine and sticking that sticker on my lapel.

This year, though, I had planned to vote early, but still in person, due to COVID-19 concerns.

Then, the infection rates around here started spiking, as did the likelihood that I might have to quarantine at some point and I didn’t want to be stuck in a quarantine and unable to vote, so I requested an absentee ballot.

That’s when I noticed how informative, user-friendly and effective Wisconsin’s webpage is. You can track your ballot from start to finish, which is very reassuring. You can see exactly when you submitted your request, when your municipal clerk mailed it to you, when you can expect it to land in your mailbox and, most importantly, when the clerk’s office received and logged your completed ballot.

Today is the last day you can register to vote online in Wisconsin for the Nov. 3 ballot, but you can actually register to vote right up until elelction day. Wisconsin is one of 21 states that allows same day registration with proof of residence documentation.

I really have to hand it to the Wisconsin Election Commission, a non-partisan board, for making the voting process so accessible.

Here in Appleton, we can place our completed ballots in secure drop boxes at fire stations around the city and I enjoyed that option as well.(Particularly after sweating out the confirmation on my mom’s ballot when someone whose initials may or may not be LB promised to drop it off at the clerk’s office but mailed it instead. You may have felt my sigh of relief on October 1 when I, my sister Kathy and my mom, all monitoring from our own homes, noted that Margaret Kostelnik’s ballot was received. Whew!)

But, I like the fire station ballot boxes because every neighborhood has a fire station nearby.

There are 19 days left until the election, plenty of time to vote.

Let’s go!