Oshkosh sets in-person absentee voting schedule and polling places

OSHKOSH, WI—(WISS)— The Oshkosh Common Council voted Tuesday night to make changes to the polling places within the city and to establish the days, times, and locations for in-person absentee voting for the upcoming primary election on February 17, and the Spring Ballot on April 7. 

In a memo as part of the Common Council agenda packet, City Clerk Darla Salinas said early in-person absentee voting previously took place at 19 E. Irving Street. However, there are a number of challenges for that site, including limited space for election workers, for voters waiting in line inside, limited parking, on-street parking concerns, and voter and worker safety, among other concerns.

Council Member Jacob Floam agreed with the change.

“ Personally, 19 East Irving is not a sustainable location for us. The lines were out the door and around the corner. People had a tough time parking. People got parking tickets,” Floam said. “It was a bit of a mess, in my opinion. I was there. I saw.”

The Common Council voted to establish the UW-Oshkosh Culver Welcome Center at 625 Pearl Avenue in Oshkosh for in-person absentee voting. 

There was some discussion about whether Oshkosh could support two in-person absentee voting locations. Salinas said it would not be allowed for a city of Oshkosh’s size.

“ Rebecca (Grill) and I were speaking earlier about the possibility of having two sites. We know in a class one city like Milwaukee, they do have a lot more authority To do things like that,” Salinas said. “To our knowledge – And this was a conversation we just had, 30 minutes ago – It is not allowed in a class two city.”

In-Person Absentee Voting: Days and Times

In addition to setting the new location for the in-person absentee voting, the common council approved the city clerk’s recommendation with an amendment to direct staff to try to find opportunities for at least one Saturday and one evening for in-person absentee voting. With the exception of those additions, the city will hold in-person absentee voting on the following dates and times.

Spring Primary: February 17, 2026

• Tuesday, February 3, 2026 – 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
• Wednesday, February 4, 2026 – 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
• Thursday, February 5, 2026 – 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
• Friday, February 6, 2026 – 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Spring Election: April 7, 2026

• Tuesday, March 24, 2026 – 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
• Wednesday, March 25, 2026 – 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
• Thursday, March 26, 2026 – 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
• Friday, March 27, 2026 – 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
• Monday, March 30, 2026 – 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
• Tuesday, March 31, 2026 – 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
• Wednesday, April 1, 2026 – 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
• Thursday, April 2, 2026 – 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
• Friday, April 3, 2026 – 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

New Polling Places in Oshkosh

City Clerk Salinas told Common Council members that the City of Oshkosh had 15 polling places for each election, many of which were smaller, lacked adequate parking, or faced other challenges. She recommended consolidating sites, resulting in reduced costs for election day labor, pre-election preparation, and site setup.

She further recommended adding the Wisconsin Army National Guard Armory Building at 1415 Armory Place to the polling registers and expanding usage of the UW-Oshkosh Culver Welcome Center.

However, there was some pushback from the community on using the Wisconsin Army National Guard Building.

Community Pushback

“ I have had a couple of people express concern to me that, not only that one of the locations the National Guard Armory, but that it is the size of the location. That the way that the National Guard has been used, not around here, but elsewhere in the nation, may cause people to feel that they can’t go and vote there safely,” Patton said.

Margey Davey, a member of the League of Women Voters of Winnebago County, also expressed concern about using the Armory as a polling place.

“But my greatest concern is that just a few years ago, the National Guard was being used to protect voters from intimidation at polling places. Now it’s scaring the sh*t outta people, quite frankly,” Davey said. “Now that it’s being used against citizens and for enforcement, there’s gonna be a lot of people who don’t want to go to the Armory.”

She added, “And it’s not just restricted to black and brown people who speak with a non-Wisconsin accent. Given recent events, now, it may apply to anyone and everyone.”

The Common Council amended the resolution, using Michael Patton’s suggestion, to remove the Armory as a polling place, keeping the Senior Center, and increasing the number of voters at Whitman Airport.

Communicating the Changes

Salinas said communications about the changes to polling places will go out to every single household in Oshkosh, in addition to several other methods of communication about the change for Oshkosh voters.

“ We have a very full and detailed communication plan that will start nearly immediately,” said Salinas. There will be a very brightly colored, not a postcard, but it’s a big,  two-sided sheet of paper with a map…All the information is on there that will go to every single household in Oshkosh. So not just registered voters and not just affected registered voters. All residences in Oshkosh.”

Voters should check MyVote.wi.gov for polling locations and registration details before every election.