On Tuesday, Aug. 13, voters across the city will head to one of nearly 200 polling sites to cast their ballots in the fall partisan primary election.

During a partisan election, voters decide which candidates they prefer from a specific political party. Sometimes the winner of a partisan election runs unopposed during the general election, which takes place on Nov. 5.   

How to find your polling location

Click here to find your polling location. Election day voting hours are 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. 

Acceptable identification

Make sure you bring a valid photo ID to vote. 

Where to drop off ballots

Those who received ballots through the mail can drop them off at one of several locations in the city from now until Election Day. 

Early voting sites

There are also several sites where residents can cast their votes early. 

What’s on the ballot?

To be decided are two important referendum questions that would amend Wisconsin’s Constitution and limit the powers the governor has to accept and use federal funds. 

Currently, the governor has discretion to accept and utilize those federal funds. The amendments were pushed by members of the legislature in response to the governor’s allocation of federal pandemic relief funds.  

Referendum questions

The first referendum asks voters whether they believe the legislature alone, and not the governor, should determine how to use federal funds in Wisconsin. 

The second and related referendum asks voters whether the governor should need approval from the legislature to accept and allocate federal funds. It also would create a process in which allocations are not approved by the passage of a bill, but through a joint resolution or legislative rule that does not need approval from the governor. 

A “yes” vote on the referendum essentially supports limiting the governor’s powers related to accepting and using federal funds. 

A “no” vote supports keeping the current system in place. 

According to a July report from the Wisconsin Policy Forum, because of the broad language included in the amendment, “it likely will impact far more than just cases of emergency influxes of federal funds that are similar to the pandemic.” 

Candidates for U.S. Congress

Two candidates who currently represent Milwaukee in Congress are on the ballot, but neither has an opponent to run against. U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin and Congresswoman Gwen Moore, both Democrats, will move on to the November election, where they will face Republican challengers who win their primaries. 

Races for state representative and senate seats

South Side races include the 8th Assembly District, which features Enrique Murguia and incumbent Sylvia Ortiz-Velez, and 9th Assembly District candidates Priscilla A. Prado, Deisy España and Ryan Antczak. 

Races on the North Side include one to decide who will represent the 11th Assembly District, Sequanna Taylor or Amillia Heredia. The 12th District race features four candidates: Russell Antonio Goodwin Sr., Katrina Blossom Morrison, Decorah Gordon and Brandon Williford. 

Drake won a special election against Myers in July to complete Lena Taylor’s term as senator. The 4th Senate District includes sections on the far North Side of Milwaukee, Shorewood and Glendale. 

Sen. LaTonya Johnson is running unopposed in the 6th Senate District, which encompasses a large area of the North Side.

For more information about the Aug. 13 election, you can visit the Milwaukee Election Commission’s website.