🗳️ Your guide to voting this Election Day

🔍 Madison College Starts Over on President Search

• After one of the three finalists backed out ahead of candidate forums this week, Donald Dantzler Jr., president of the Madison College District Board of Trustees, canceled the events for the remaining finalists and announced the board will restart its search.
• Retiring President Jack Daniels will stay on until the end of 2024, and Tim Casper, Madison College’s executive vice president for student affairs, will serve as interim president until a permanent replacement is found. [CT]

📰 UW-Madison Students Launch Conservative ‘Federalist’

• A group of conservative UW-Madison students launched “The Madison Federalist” this week, a student publication they call “right-of-center.”
• Editor-in-Chief Benjamin Rothove said the Federalist will counter an imbalance in campus journalism, calling both the Badger Herald and Daily Cardinal “left-of-center.”
• “We strive to promote individual freedom, traditional values, and the right to life, while also upholding an unwavering commitment to report the truth,” the Federalist wrote in its founding statement. [Daily Cardinal]

🥐 Far Breton Bakery Adds New Cafe

• Far Breton Bakery on Madison’s northeast side expanded with a small 15-seat cafe serving sweet and savory crepes, Parisian hot chocolate, and Rusty Dog Coffee.
• Pastry chef Marie-Arzel Young opened the bakery in 2022 with over two decades of experience, including stints at Harvest, L’Etoile and the Ovens of Brittany.
• The bakery and cafe are open 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday [🔒WSJ]

We’re just over two weeks away from Election Day, and there’s a lot on the ballot for Madison voters to weigh in on, from a presidential race, to a Dane County Executive race, to budget referendum questions for both the city and Madison school district.

Here’s what you need to know:

How To Register To Vote

Find out if you're registered to vote by using this easy online tool at My Vote Wisconsin.

The deadline for registering to vote passed on Oct. 16, but you can still register in person starting Tuesday at an in-person absentee voting location until the Friday before Election Day (Nov. 1).

Wisconsin also offers same-day voter registration, so you can register when you go to your polling location on Nov. 5. Make sure to bring a photo ID and proof of residence, such as a utility bill or a paycheck.

How To Vote Absentee

To vote by mail, you can request an absentee ballot until 5 p.m. on the Thursday before the election (Oct. 31), but election officials urge voters not to wait until the last minute.

The ballot has to be received by your polling place on Election Day, so officials recommend mailing it at least a week in advance. You can track your ballot online at MyVote Wisconsin.

Starting this Tuesday and ending Sunday, Nov. 3, voters can also go to one of many locations around the city for “in-person absentee voting.” This differs from what’s called “early voting” in other states, in that your absentee ballot is sealed and not counted until Election Day.

How To Use Ballot Drop Boxes

Absentee ballots can also be dropped off at one of 14 secure drop boxes located at Madison’s 14 fire department stations. The boxes will be available until 5 p.m. the day before the election (Nov. 4).