Meg Jones

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

City of Milwaukee residents can vote early starting Sept. 26 at City Hall and at two locations on the city's north and south sides next month.

Voters can cast their early absentee ballots beginning Oct. 10 at Forest Home Library, 1432 W. Forest Home Ave., and Midtown Center, 5700 W. Capitol Parkway. All three locations will be open for early in-person absentee voting through the Saturday before the Nov. 8 elections, Mayor Tom Barrett announced Sunday.

"For me this goes to the core of our democracy. We want people who are eligible to vote to have the right to vote," Barrett said.

In past elections, early in-person voting was offered for a total of 110 hours only at the Zeidler Municipal Building downtown. For the Nov. 8 election, there will be a combined total of 725 hours of early voting, including 295 hours at the Zeidler building.

City officials can offer an early voting schedule due to a recent court ruling that struck down limits on early voting approved by Republican Gov. Scott Walker and Republicans who control the Legislature. Under those limits, early voting could not have started until Oct. 24, nor could it have included weekend voting.

Instead the recent federal ruling allows municipalities to arrange their own early voting schedules.

"We're very, very excited. We're building off (U.S. District) Judge (James) Peterson’s very significant ruling, which recognized the Legislature and the governor were in essence trying to limit voting especially here in Wisconsin," Barrett said.

Early voting will cost the city more than $200,000 including rental of the space at Midtown Center on the north side and two additional machines to tabulate votes. The mayor noted that of the 324 city wards where voters are living, each has a different ballot. Early voting locations will have ballots for all 324 wards.

Starting Sept. 26, early in-person absentee voting will be available from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday at City Hall with express voting for voters who are already registered entering the Zeidler building at 830 N. Market St., and voters who need to register entering at 841 N. Broadway.

Voting hours at Midtown Center and Forest Home Library will be 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays from Oct. 10 to Oct. 21 and 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays from Oct. 24 to Nov. 4. Weekend voting will be offered from noon to 5 p.m. on Oct. 15, 22, 23, 29, 30 and Nov. 5.

Voting hours at the Zeidler Municipal building will be 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays from Sept. 26 to Oct. 21 and 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays from Oct. 24 to Nov. 4. Weekend voting will be offered from noon to 5 p.m. on Oct. 15, 22, 23, 29, 30 and Nov. 5.

"This is in recognition that a lot of people have jobs and child care needs and educational demands and transportation challenges that may make it difficult to vote on election day itself," said Barrett.