March 25, 2025 – Washington Co., WI – In-person absentee voting runs through Saturday, March 29, 2025, in some areas of Washington County, WI, as clerks gear up for the Tuesday, April 1, 2025, election. One issue that has come to light is missing mail-in ballots, meaning ballots mailed March 11, anticipated delivery date March 13 and still not delivered. Are you still waiting on your ballot?
Some voters in Washington County, WI, and across the state have contacted their clerks saying they never received a requested mail-in ballot.
The note below was filed by the clerk from the City of Menomonie on March 24, 2025, at 11:06 a.m.
Clerks of the land,
A very important question for you today regarding the parameters of ballot delivery by mail – I have a voter who was sent a ballot on March 11, 2025, for the April 1 election and today she contacted me to inform me she has not received it.
After looking into it, it appears to be stuck in USPS lost mail land in Eagan, MN. She has asked if it would be possible for us to send her a second ballot via expedited mail – is this even possible (by process standards/legality/ethical standards)?
If any of you have encountered this situation before, would you please let me know how you handle this and if you have any legal/WEC guidance or best practices? Thank you, kindly.
The clerk in the City of West Bend, WI, said she too has fielded about a half-dozen calls regarding a lack of requested mail-in ballots.
Clerk Jilline Dobratz confirmed a ballot for a West Bend resident was mailed March 11, 2025, and was stuck at the U.S. Post Office in Milwaukee. As of March 24, 2025, the ballot still had not been delivered.
The Wisconsin Election Commission issued the statement below.
We are aware of the slower mail time for absentee ballots and know that the post office is working on it. The ballots are not able to be switched to email for a regular absentee voter.
You are able to overnight or FedEx a ballot and the elector would pay for the additional expense. As for the financials of the voter paying for expedited delivery, you will need to figure out a payment procedure with the voter, as we have no suggestions on this. Either way, the process should be consistent and fair. If you send out another ballot, those original ballots should be deactivated in WisVote. The voters could also come to Wisconsin to vote during IPAV or Election Day if they do not return an absentee ballot.
I wish I had more options to offer. I know it is very frustrating for both you and the voters.
Questions that remain unanswered include, what happens to the snowbirds or those serving in the military if they do not receive their absentee mail-in ballot? How will they access a ballot to vote before April 1, 2025?
On a side note:
– Full disclosure, it was my mother’s ballot that went missing/never arrived. The clerk in the City of West Bend, Wi, confirmed it was mailed March 11, 2025. As of March 25, 2025, it had still not arrived. Because we have options, I packed her in the car, and we went to vote in-person absentee. Keep in mind, if anyone chooses this option, it took 20 minutes for the clerk’s office to cancel the missing ballot and then she was able to vote. The clerk at the counter did apologize for “the rigmarole.”
- Getting in touch with a postmaster at the U.S. Postal in Milwaukee is tricky. I contacted the number below from the webpage and it did not ring through.
- West Milwaukee provided this contact for the US Postal Corporate Communications for the Wisconsin Region. Contact Desai Abdul-Razzaaq at 612-349-4717. Calls were placed and the phone rang about 20 times with no response.
- Another call was placed to the US Postal Inspector at 877-876-2455. That was a web of voice prompts and got stuck for 10 minutes in, “Your call is very important to us, please wait for the next available agent.”
- One US Postal person asked for the tracking number on the ballot. I asked if the City Clerk’s office places a tracking number on mail-in ballots. The US Postal person said “no, they don’t.”
- While on hold for the U.S. Postal in West Milwaukee, the pre-recorded message playing said, “For delivery you can rely on, choose the United States Postal Service.”
