Opinion: Voting is a cornerstone of democracy. Wisconsin strives to ensure fair elections.

In a little over a month, Americans will have the opportunity to exercise their civic duty by casting a ballot in the 2024 presidential election.

Elections are the cornerstone of our democracy and one of the most important things we can do as Americans. It comes as no surprise, then, that citizens are taking the time to think not only about who they’ll vote for but also how the voting process works and how Wisconsin will uphold the integrity of the election.

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Wisconsin’s elections work because we have tried-and-tested systems in place to make sure votes are cast fairly and counted correctly. Our elections have many built-in safeguards in place before, during and after a vote is cast. Chief among these safeguards are strict voter eligibility laws that ensure only U.S. citizens can vote in federal elections.

Wisconsin elections run locally by community members

Wisconsin elections are run locally by community members who work hard to make sure our elections are fair. These are our friends and family who take this responsibility very seriously. As eligible voters themselves, they know what’s at stake. This is one of the many reasons why we the undersigned trust our elections.

All applicants in Wisconsin are required to affirm or verify their citizenship status under penalty of perjury — which carries potential criminal punishments and the risk of deportation  — when registering to vote in federal elections. Every voter must meet requirements for eligibility and identity regardless of how they cast their vote — that includes early voting, voting by mail or Election Day voting.

ID requirements ensure only one vote per eligible U.S. voter counted

These identification requirements ensure that only one vote per eligible, registered U.S. voter is counted. Additional measures in place include:

• Wisconsin election officials regularly update voter registration lists ahead of Election Day based on voter requests and data indicating if a voter has died, moved, registered elsewhere, changed their name or otherwise become ineligible.

• Working with election officials from other states around the country to keep voter registration lists up to date by identifying voters who have moved in or out of the state, or who are eligible to vote but are unregistered.

• Confirming voter eligibility and identity when casting ballots.

These checks and balances are carried out in Wisconsin and every state across America so we can rest assured that final election results reflect the will of the people.

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As Americans, we take our freedom and our democracy seriously. These voter eligibility laws have been in place for decades, requiring voters in every state to verify their U.S. citizenship when they register to vote. These laws and processes are upheld by the proud Wisconsinites serving as election officials and poll workers so that we can all cast our ballots with confidence on Nov. 5.

Scott McCallum is the former governor of Wisconsin and co-lead of the Wisconsin Alliance for Civic Trust. Marge Bostlemann is a Wisconsin Elections Commissioner and Keep Our Republic Advisory Board Member.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Opinion: WI election officials use IDs to ensure voter eligibility