West of the I

Have you considered early voting for the November election?

Some elected officials got together in Kenosha Thursday to urge you to do just that.

Here is a press release distributed by Kenosha County and the city of Kenosha:

Kenosha County Executive Jim Kreuser and City of Kenosha Mayor John Antaramian are calling on residents to make sure they’re registered to vote before the Nov. 6 election. “Now is the time to make sure you’re ready to cast a ballot on or before Election Day,” Kreuser said. “Don’t let long lines, missed deadlines or a lack of understanding about the process get in the way of exercising one of your most basic constitutional rights.” In honor of National Voter Registration Day, which is next Tuesday, Sept. 25, Kreuser and Antaramian spoke this afternoon on the importance of voting during a joint news conference with local election officials at the Kenosha Municipal Building. They urged voters to check their registration status, and to participate in democracy by casting a ballot. “If you’ve moved since the last Election Day, or if you haven’t voted in a number of years, you may need to reregister,” Antaramian said. “We want to make sure nobody is surprised when they go to the polls on Election Day, and that all eligible voters are able to vote.” The Kenosha County Board recently adopted a resolution by Supervisor John Franco, recognizing National Voter Registration Day. This resolution notes that the Census Bureau estimates more than 20 percent of eligible United States citizens are not registered to vote, comprising roughly 60 million to 70 million people. While Wisconsin allows people to register to vote at the polls on Election Day, people are urged to register in advance to avoid potentially long lines at polling places. Franco encourages everyone to check their voter registration status at www.myvote.wi.gov in advance of the upcoming election. Even if you think you’re registered, your registration may have been purged by the state if you have not voted in the last two election cycles, Franco noted. “Voter Registration Day – or any day over the next week – is a great time to check and make sure you’re ready to vote in this important election,” Franco said. Residents across Kenosha County and Wisconsin also have the ability to cast absentee ballots before Election Day, at home by mail or in person at their local city, village or town hall. In the City of Kenosha, in-person absentee voting for the Nov. 6 election begins Monday, Oct. 1 in Rooms 104-105 at the Municipal Building. Voting hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays through Nov. 1, and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 2. Elsewhere in Kenosha County, hours vary by municipality. Contact your local village or town clerk’s office for more information. Requests for absentee ballots to be mailed out to voters must be made by 5 p.m. Nov. 1. All ballots must be received by 8 p.m. Nov. 6. Contact your clerk’s office for more details. A state-approved photo ID card is required to vote in Wisconsin. Acceptable IDs include: — A Wisconsin DOT-issued driver’s license (even if driving privileges are revoked or suspended) or ID card (can be unexpired or expired after Nov. 8, 2016). — A military ID card issued by a U.S. uniformed service (can be unexpired or expired after Nov. 8, 2016). — A U.S. passport (can be unexpired or expired after Nov. 8, 2016). — A veterans photo ID card issued by the Veterans Health Administration or the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (must be unexpired). — A photo ID card issued by a Wisconsin accredited university or college that contains date of issuance, signature of student and an expiration date no later than two years after the date of issuance. Also, the university or college ID must be accompanied by a separate document that verifies enrollment (must be unexpired). Note: The address on a voter’s photo ID card does not need to be current. A free state ID card is available from the Wisconsin Division of Motor Vehicles. For more examples of acceptable photo IDs, visit www.bringit.wi.gov or www.myvote.wi.gov.