"I wanted to vote and get my point of view in the ballot box:" Early voting underway in Wisconsin

MILWAUKEE (WITI) --People across the state cast their ballots Monday October 20th, for the first day of early voting. Early voting, or absentee voting, runs through October 31st this year, but there are some changes. A tight governor's race on the ballot brings voters out to Milwaukee's Municipal Building.

"I feel so strongly about this election, I wanted to be the first out, I wanted to vote and get my point of view in the ballot box," said Cindy Raven, voting early.

Voter turnout this November 4th is projected to be high. It could be as high as 80 percent in the city of Milwaukee, according to the city's election commissioner.

Many decide to vote on the first day of early voting to avoid long lines later on. If you show up for early voting, election officials say you should be able to get in the door, cast your ballot, and get out the door, all in under 10 minutes.

"It was great, everything went and flowed , you follow the instructions, they tell you what to do, give you the information and you just cast your vote," said Robert Bell, voting early.

You do not need a photo ID to vote, but something new this year: no early voting on weekends. Early voting runs weekdays only, through Friday October 31st and hours vary by municipality. In MIlwaukee they are 8 am to 7 pm.

At city hall, members of the Wisconsin African American Civic Engagement Roundtable, faith leaders and other community leaders gather to spread the word to get out and vote.

"There are too many important issues that are plaguing our community for us not to have a voice in democracy," said Mike Wilder.

You can also vote absentee at your local municipal clerk's office. In-person absentee voting (also known as early voting) runs on weekdays for two weeks before an election, ending at 5 p.m. or the close of business (whichever is later) on the Friday before the election.  For the 2014 General Election, the dates are:

Please check with your municipal clerk for office hours.  Early voting is no longer permitted on weekends.

You can find your clerk at MyVote WI: myvote.wi.gov by searching for your voter record or performing an address search. You can also find your clerk by searching through the list of all Wisconsin municipal clerks.

The Voter Registration Guide contains more detailed information about registration.

Voter registration forms are also available here to download.