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FACT BRIEF

Can a third party know the status of a Wisconsin voter's absentee ballot?

By Erin Gretzinger
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YES

Through the Wisconsin Elections Commission website Badger Voters, any political party or individual can pay for and access data about the status of absentee ballots, including whether a ballot was counted or disqualified. This information can be used to send out texts or calls to voters about the status of their ballot, according to a statement from the WEC sent to Wisconsin Watch. 

In the case that an absentee ballot is marked as "returned to be rejected," the clerk can take two courses of action: return the ballot to the voter if there is enough time for an issue to be corrected, or have voter and witness come into the clerk's office to correct the issue, according to the WEC. 

Voters can check the status of their own absentee ballots for free at the state's website, myvote.wi.gov.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
State of Wisconsin Track My Ballot
State of Wisconsin Badger Voters Frequently Asked Questions
DocumentCloud Wisconsin Elections Commission response to absentee ballot question
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Wisconsin Watch
Wisconsin Watch, the news arm of the nonpartisan, nonprofit Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism, increases the quality and quantity of investigative reporting in Wisconsin, while training current and future investigative journalists. Its work fosters an informed citizenry and strengthens democracy.
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Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.