logo
Brief Publisher Logo
FACT BRIEF

Can anyone order Wisconsin absentee ballots 'for anyone and ship the ballots anywhere in the world'?

By Tom Kertscher
View this fact brief on Wisconsin Watch
Copy link
email
Copy featured image
email
NO

Only registered Wisconsin voters can use Wisconsin’s MyVote website to request absentee ballots by mail.

The Wisconsin Election Commission told Wisconsin Watch that MyVote does not automatically send an absentee ballot to the requester. Requests generate an email to the requester’s municipal clerk, who determines whether the voter has provided information, including a photo ID, to receive an absentee ballot.

MyVote is the most common way Wisconsin voters request absentee ballots.

Wisconsin-based HOT Government, which alleged fraud in Wisconsin in the 2020 election, falsely claimed Nov. 2, 2024, that “anybody from around the world” can use MyVote to “illegally order absentee ballots for anyone and ship the ballots anywhere in the world.”

In 2022, the organization's president Harry Wait was charged with four crimes for allegedly using MyVote to request absentee ballots for two Wisconsin elected officials be mailed to his Racine-area home. The case is pending.

See a full discussion of this at Wisconsin Watch
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
Wisconsin Elections Commission Vote absentee by mail
Google Docs Wisconsin Elections Commission email 11/3/24
Wisconsin Elections Commission How Wisconsin is Ready for the November 2024 Election
HOT Government HOT Government
HOT Government Wisconsin Election Fraud in 2020
X HOT Government post
Wisconsin Justice Department Union Grove Man Charged with Election Fraud
Wisconsin Circuit Court Access Harry Wait case summary
ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR
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.
FACT BRIEF BY
Brief Publisher Logo
Latest fact briefs from Wisconsin Watch
facebook
twitter
email
email
About fact briefs published on Gigafact
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.