What Is All This?

They're not flashy like elections for president, senators, and governors but the spring elections in Wisconsin for supreme court, superintendent of schools, and hundreds of local elections affect real people. These elections have a direct and visible impact on the way our state runs, our brothers and sisters are educated, our streets are repaired, and our emergency services operate. Without competent and qualified elected officials working in these less-glamorous positions, everything you voted to send to Washington in November won't do much good back home.

At Vote Naked, we know you care and want to make a difference in the way our government works. But we also know heading to the polls in April to vote for a few little elections is a lot of hassle. And for that matter, most people will have never heard of the names to pick from. That's where absentee voting comes in - telling your voting officials a few weeks before the election that you would like to vote by mail.

You'll be sent a ballot - the same ballot you would use at a polling place on election day - at your home. You'll have time to research the candidates you've never heard of before and what they propose to do. And, best of all, instead of having to get to your polling place, you only need to walk to your mailbox to vote. And since you're voting in the privacy of your home, you can even get some friends together and all vote naked if that's your thing. Without getting a dirty look from the little old lady at the ballot box.

So how does one get to vote naked, you ask?

Register to Vote

If you live in the same place now that you did when you voted in November, you're already registered to vote - you don't need to re-register.

If you didn't vote in November or you've moved since then, you can fill out our voter registration wizard. Complete all the required information and the system will give you a form that you can print, sign, and mail in to your local election officials (we'll give you that address, too). The registration must be received by the elections officials by the third Wednesday before the election, March 18th 2009.

Election officials will accept a voter registration form and a ballot request form mailed in the same envelope.

Request Your Ballot

To receive an election ballot in the mail, fill out our ballot request wizard. Complete all the required infomration and the system will give you a form that you can print, sign, and mail in to your local election officials (we'll give you that address, too). The request must be received by 5:00 PM on the Thursday before the election, April 2nd 2009, to be processed. I wouldn't be a bad idea to get that ballot request in early, though, to allow the postal service time to deliver your request to the clerk, your blank ballot to you, and your completed ballot back to the clerk.

Then What?

A few days after you send in your registration and ballot request, you'll receive your absentee ballot in the mail. Fill it out, send it back (the postage is paid) and your vote will be counted on election day. You'll have done your civic duty without having to put your pants on!

If you get confused, don't worry – help is just an email away. Shoot a line to help@votenaked.org and someone will get back to you right away.

That's all there is to it. And remember, voting (naked or otherwise) is more fun when you do it with friends.