Election Basics-Protecting the Right To Cast a Ballot 2026

Co-produced with Government Lawyers Division of the State Bar of Wisconsin

Know the rules behind the ballot

Questions about voting and election procedures can arise well beyond Election Day. Whether advising a voter, working with a community organization, or simply looking to better understand the election process, attorneys benefit from knowing how Wisconsin’s voting rules work in practice. Election Basics: Protecting the Right to Cast a Ballot provides a practical overview of Wisconsin election procedures, from voter registration and identification requirements to absentee voting, election observation, and ballot processing.

Presenter Matthew W. O’Neill will walk through the voting process and the legal requirements that govern it, including what happens to absentee ballots after they are returned and how election observers may participate at polling places.

You’ll learn how to:

• Advise voters on Wisconsin registration and voter ID requirements before Election Day
• Help voters and community organizations navigate the requirements for properly completing and returning absentee ballots
• Recognize what election observers may lawfully observe and what conduct is prohibited at polling places
• Explain how absentee ballots are received, processed, and counted, including procedures that may continue after the polls close
• Apply Wisconsin election procedures to questions involving ballot access, voting, election observation, and ballot counting

Whether you work with government, civil rights, election, or general practice matters—or simply want to refresh your knowledge before the next election—Election Basics: Protecting the Right to Cast a Ballot will give you the information you need to better understand and explain Wisconsin’s voting procedures.