Welcome to Menasha, Wisconsin

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I'm new to the City of Menasha or new to voting... What do I need to do?	Poll Worker Information	Who are my elected officials?	Election Results	How do I get on the ballot?	What are Badger Books (electronic poll books)?

		Voter Registration Information Registration Guidelines and Residency Requirements: Registration is open until 5:00 pm 20 days before an election. Wisconsin requires 28 days to establish residency at a new address. Temporary absence does not affect residency. Time spent away from your residence still counts toward the 28 day residency requirement as long as you intend to return. When registering, you must present Proof of Residence, a document showing your current name at your current address. You cannot register to vote using a post office box.
		Proof of Residency Requirement Specifics All Proof of Residence documents must include the voter’s name and current (Menasha) residential address. • A current and valid State of Wisconsin Driver License or State ID card. • Any other official identification card or license issued by a Wisconsin governmental body or unit. • Any identification card issued by an employer in the normal course of business and bearing a photo of the card holder, but not including a business card. • A real estate tax bill or receipt for the current year or the year preceding the date of the election. • A university, college, or technical college identification card (must include photo) ONLY if the voter provides a fee receipt dated within the last 9 months or the institution provides a certified housing list, that indicates citizenship, to the municipal clerk. • A gas, electric, or telephone service statement (utility bill) for the period commencing no earlier than 90 days before Election Day. • Bank/credit card statement. • Paycheck or paystub. • A check or other document issued by a unit of government. • A letter on public or private social service agency letterhead identifying a homeless voter and describing the individual’s residence for voting purposes. • Residential lease that is effective on date of registration. (Not valid if registering by mail.) • An intake document from a residential care facility such as a nursing home or assisted living facility. This is not a comprehensive list, but categories of the most common types used by voters
		1. Online You may register to vote online at My Vote Wisconsin ONLY if you have a valid, unexpired Wisconsin driver license or Wisconsin ID, and your address on file with the DMV matches the address at which you are registering to vote. If the DMV does not have your current address on file, update your address on the DMV website before updating your voter registration at My Vote Wisconsin.
		2. By Mail Registration forms are available on the Wisconsin Elections Commission website in English, Spanish, and Hmong. To register to vote by mail, download, print and complete the application and mail the form to the City Clerk's office (100 Main Street, Suite 200, Menasha, WI 54952) with your Proof of Residency document. The registration form must be postmarked at least 20 days before the election. Registration CANNOT be completed until Proof of Residency documentation is provided. (PDF Versions Available from WEC - Include English, Spanish and Hmong)
		3. In-Person Visit the City Clerk's Office located on the 2nd Floor of City Hall (100 Main Street, Suite 200, Menasha) up until the Friday before an election.
		4. On Election Day Register to vote at your polling place on election day. Please be prepared for possible wait times if you chose to register on election day. Registration forms will be made available and a poll worker will assist in completing the application process.

How do I become a poll worker?
To inquire about becoming a poll worker or complete an application, please contact the City Clerk or visit the Clerk's Office on the 2nd Floor of City Hall (100 Main Street, Menasha). Poll Workers or Election Inspectors facilitate the right to vote and maintain order at the polls on Election Day. They ensure that our elections are open, fair, impartial, and trusted. One of the most rewarding ways to become involved in the election process is to become a Poll Worker.

Poll Worker Application (PDF Version)

What qualifications do you need to be a poll worker?

- Be a U.S. citizen
- Be 18 years old (except high school student poll workers)
- Be able to read and write fluently in the English language
- NOT be a candidate for any office to be voted on at the polling place at that election
- Be a qualified elector of the county where the polling place is located

A Poll Worker may also:
- Have strong clerical skills
- Be able to solve problems
- Be an effective communicator

I'm in high school, and I'd love to learn more about the electoral process - how can I help out my community?

Yes, we'd love to have you! Below are the requirements to help on Election Day, per the Wisconsin Elections Commission:
- Are 16 or 17 years of age
- Are enrolled in grades 9 to 12 in a public, private or tribal school
- Have at least a 3.0 grade point average or the equivalent
- Have the written approval of their parent or guardian AND the principal of the school
- Reside in the City of Menasha
- Students may serve only at polling places that serve their residence

Upon appointment, the City Clerk will notify the principal of the school where the student is enrolled of the date of the election.

How much do poll workers get paid?
The City of Menasha pays its Poll Workers $10.00/hour for training, in-office assistance, and special voting deputy assistance and a day/shift rate of $140.00 for a full-day shift (6:00 a.m. to 8:00p.m.) and $70.00 for a half-day shift (morning shift - 6:00a.m to 1:30p.m. or evening shift - 1:30p.m. to 8:00p.m.). To receive training payment, you are required to work on Election Day. Lunch and dinner breaks are allowed for full-day and half-day shift workers. If you wish to decline compensation to volunteer your time, please complete the Declination of Compensation Form.

What roles are there for poll workers?
Approximately five weeks before each election, Poll Workers who indicated availability on their new poll worker paperwork will receive a call or email message providing their polling place.

Poll Workers play a vital role at voting sites on Election Day. They work directly with voters and assist them in any of the following capacities:
- Check-in registered voters in the poll books and provide the voters with a ballot and voter number
- Issue ballots to voters
- Register qualified individuals to vote who are new voters or have an address or name change
- Monitor the voting machine to verify ballots are accepted and give out "I Voted" stickers to voters

	How do I get on the ballot (Run for a Local Office)?
Throughout Wisconsin, nomination papers and other required forms are the primary way for candidates to get their name on the ballot when seeking elected office. Following correct procedure when obtaining and submitting nomination paper signatures is crucial to ensure ballot placement for a candidate. The City of Menasha’s Clerk’s Office reviews, retains, posts, and manages documentation and ballot access for Alderpersons and Mayor for the city. The Menasha Joint School District oversees nomination paperwork for the Menasha Joint School District School Board. Candidates for county offices (e.g., Supervisor, Clerk, Clerk of Courts) should visit Winnebago or Calumet County’s County Clerk’s Offices. Candidates for statewide office (e.g., Assembly Representative, Wisconsin Senate) please visit the state’s page. Nomination Papers Each of the following forms must be completed and filed on time by a candidate for municipal office in order for the candidate’s name to be placed on the ballot at the February 21, 2023 Spring Primary and the April 4, 2023 Spring Election. - Campaign Registration Statement - Declaration of Candidacy - Nomination papers (circulate and obtain signatures)
Alderperson Candidates: • Complete and submit a Campaign Registration Statement (CF-1) to the City Clerk as soon as you decide to run for office, but no later than 4:00 PM on Tuesday, January 2, 2024. This must be filed before circulating nomination papers. • Circulating Nomination Papers for Nonpartisan Office (EL-168) can begin on December 1, 2023 after the Campaign Registration Statement is submitted to the City Clerk. Nomination Papers are due no later than 5:00 PM on Tuesday, January 2, 2024. (20-40 signatures are required) • Complete and submit a Declaration of Candidacy (EL-162) to the City Clerk no later than 5:00 PM on Tuesday, January 2, 2024. • Alderpersons have a two (2) year term, which will start on the third Tuesday in April (April 16, 2024). Mayoral Candidates: • Complete and submit a Campaign Registration Statement (CF-1) to the City Clerk as soon as you decide to run for office, but no later than 4:00 PM on Tuesday, January 2, 2024. This must be filed before circulating nomination papers. • Circulating Nomination Papers for Nonpartisan Office (EL-168) can begin on December 1, 2023 after the Campaign Registration Statement is submitted to the City Clerk. Nomination Papers are due no later than 5:00 PM on Tuesday, January 2, 2024. (200-400 signatures are required) • Complete and submit a Declaration of Candidacy (EL-162) to the City Clerk no later than 5:00 PM on Tuesday, January 2, 2024. • The Mayoral term is a four (4) year term, which will will start on the third Tuesday in April (April 16, 2024). All candidates must complete the following documentation from the WI Elections Commission website: Campaign Registration Statement (CF-1) Declaration of Candidacy (EL-162) - Must be notarized or signed - this can be done through the Clerk's Office The Declaration informs the public about your name, and your intention of candidacy for a specific office through residency within the municipality. This form is notarized or signed by the Clerk’s Office. A candidate may use a full legal name, or any combination of first name, middle name, initials, or nickname with last name. Do not use titles (Dr., Ph.D., Mrs., etc.) or abbreviations. Nicknames with an apparent electoral purpose like “Lower Taxes,” or “Clean Energy” are not permitted. Voters are looking for a candidate with a legal name. A candidate may use his/her/their nickname, if that is how you refer to yourself or how you’re commonly known: Mel for Melanie; Mo for Mohammed; Jim for James. Don’t use your nickname in quotations, such as Melanie “Mel” Smith; instead write Mel Smith. The name you place on your declaration of candidacy must match the name on your nomination papers. Nomination Paper for Nonpartisan Office (EL-168) Candidates may begin circulating nomination papers on December 1, 2023; submission deadline to the Clerk’s Office is January 2, 2024, at 5:00 PM. Please refer to the table below for the number of signatures required to gain ballot access. Candidates are responsible for reviewing signatures before submitting them to the Clerk’s Office. All electors signing your nomination papers must live within the district in which you are running. Those who sign need not be registered voters, but must be eligible to vote (over 18, U.S. citizen, resident of the district for at least 28 days, not a felon, etc.). It is to your advantage to check that the addresses on your nomination papers are from the district you are running to represent. Signatures from electors outside the district will not be counted. Signers must give their complete home address which includes the house number, street name and municipality. Post Office Boxes are not permissible addresses for nomination papers. The address must include the municipality of residence. Signers must also include their signature and the date they signed the papers. For the signature to be valid, the signer must legibly print their name in the space next to their signature. Those who circulate the papers for nomination—circulators--don’t have to live in the district. They must be a U.S. citizen, over 18 and not otherwise disqualified as an elector in the State of Wisconsin. Circulators then certify, sign and date, the nomination paper(s) after they obtain the last signature on the page. To aid you in the process, complete the forms in order according to the Ballot Access - Checklist and check them off as you complete them. Campaign Finance Information Campaign Finance Overview, 2023 Guide Lifecycle of a local candidate PowerPoint Video and Power Point to help local candidates understand campaign finance reporting Video explaining the Duties for local candidates Campaign Finance Report (for non-exempt filers) (Excel Version) Statement of No Activity Completed nomination paperwork must be submitted to the Office of the City Clerk, 100 Main Street, Suite 200 (2nd Floor), Menasha, WI 54952 no later than 5:00 PM on Tuesday, January 2, 2024.

What you can expect from the Clerk’s Office The Clerk’s Office will give candidates a receipt for your nomination papers. The receipt will note the date and time of paperwork submission, the number of pages, and total number of signatures. We will then review the signatures for sufficiency and notify you of any insufficiencies. The benefit of submitting your nomination papers well before early January is the Clerk’s Office can verify the validity of your acquired signatures ahead of the deadline. Once the Clerk has verified all candidates' paperwork, the Clerk’s Office will conduct a lottery to determine ballot order. This lottery will be noticed on the city's Clerk’s Office page. The Clerk will notify you of upcoming campaign finance deadlines, via e-mail. Please be sure to provide an updated, frequently visited email address for those purposes. Candidates who do not win their offices must continue to file finance statements until they terminate their accounts. Office holders must continue to file finance statements and may not terminate until they are out of office, either by choice or by an election. The Clerk also posts recent campaign finance statements on the City of Menasha’s website.
Obtaining a Voter List Please visit Badger Voters to pay for and obtain a voter list for the purposes of campaigning door-to-door or mailing literature. Notification of Non-Candidacy Incumbents who will not seek re-election must file a Notification of Non-Candidacy by 5 PM on December 22, 2023. If the incumbent has a change of mind after filing the Notification of Non-Candidacy, they can run for re-election by filing the appropriate ballot access papers by early January. See the information above for all necessary paperwork. Write-In Candidates If you’d like to seek elected office as a write-in candidate, please follow these steps: Download your Campaign Registration Statement (see links above) File the Campaign Registration Statement with the City Clerk as soon as you decide to become a write-in candidate. Write-in votes are counted for candidates who file paperwork the Friday before Election Day (dates forthcoming) Educate voters to write-in your name in the write-in portion of the ballot, for your chosen elected office Other Campaign Finance Forms Please refer to this list of campaign finance forms. It’s the candidate’s responsibility to know which forms to file and to submit them to the Clerk’s office before the deadlines. More information can be found at the Ethics website.
Legal Notices Type A Notice Spring Election – Notice of Spring Election for local elected officials 2024 Candidate Listing Spring Election (closed 01-02-2024)

What are Badger Books (electronic poll books)?

About the Change:
The City of Menasha implemented the use of electronic poll books (Badger Books) in February 2023. They are used in place of the paper poll book. Voters sign the poll book digitally on the screen with his/her finger or stylus provided. After checking-in, voters receive their paper ballot to vote and then feed the the ballot into the tabular when finished.

What do they do?

Check in Voters
Register New Voters
Process Absentee Ballots

These devices are NOT connected to the internet, and the security risk factors are low. Badger Books do not process votes. Badger Books are not voting equipment, and the Wisconsin Elections Commission has authority to approve electronic poll books. Per Wis. Stat. § 6.79(1m), “the system employed to maintain the list electronically is subject to the approval of the Commission.” Also, per Wis. Stat. § 5.05(18), "the Commission may facilitate the creation and maintenance of electronic poll lists for purposes of s. 6.79 including entering into contracts with vendors and establishing programs for development and testing.”

City of Menasha's Common Council approved the purchases for the 2023 budget cycle.

Want more information? Please refer to this informational video, courtesy of the Wisconsin Elections Commission:

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