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Legislators gathered at the Capitol Monday to discuss the re-introduction of legislation that would require Wisconsin voters to present photo identification at election polls prior to voting or registering to vote.
Supporters of the bill, which was recently introduced to the Assembly, seek to “[restore] confidence and integrity in Wisconsin’s election system,” Sen. Joe Leibham, R-Sheboygan, said.
Wisconsin is one of only a few states with same-day registration, but some state legislators believe the system, as it is now, causes problems. With current law, an individual can simply vouch for someone else’s residency, but the new bill would remove this, Leibham said.
Melanie Fonder, spokesperson for Gov. Jim Doyle, said if the proposal were approved, Wisconsin would be only one of five states to have such a stringent requirement. Doyle does not believe that adding a barrier to the voting process is helpful to the election system, she added.
“We need to work on focusing our efforts on strengthening and improving our election procedures instead of on something that would discourage voting,” Fonder said.
The new legislation would require the Department of Transportation to pay for state IDs for individuals who do not already have one or cannot afford one. Because it is unclear how many people would need a card, the cost cannot be determined.
Fonder said currently, each municipality in Wisconsin has a separate system of voter registration lists, which generates inconsistencies. Doyle would like to focus on having a uniform registration system to allow easy verification of voters and to catch double registrations, according to Fonder.
The legislation was proposed as the city of Milwaukee is still attempting to analyze potential voter fraud in the Nov. 2 election. A total of 1,305 same-day registration cards could not be processed in Milwaukee, leading officials to question the integrity of current election procedures.
Leibham, along with Rep. Jeff Stone, R-Greendale, are the chief supporters of the proposed bill. Stone proposed legislation in last year’s assembly session that passed in both the Assembly and the Senate but was ultimately vetoed by Doyle.
“The time is now for the governor to step forward and support this legislation,” Stone said. “We’re going to move forward.”
Sen. Tom Reynolds, R-West Allis, who was present at Monday’s press conference, supports photo ID legislation. Reynolds, Chairman of the Senate Labor and Election Process Reform Committee, announced his committee will hold a series of hearings across the state to examine the proposed legislation.
“In the 2004 Presidential election, 62 percent of John Kerry supporters were concerned that people would not be able to vote and 59 percent of Bush voters worried about vote fraud,” Reynolds said. “The important thing to take away from that is the fact that people across party lines have very little confidence in the election system in this country.”
Proponents of the voter identification legislation are surprised the proposal does not have more support. Wisconsin is one of fourteen states that does not require a photo ID to vote.
“I’m surprised we don’t have more co-sponsors to the bill,” Liebham said. “It’s our responsibility to protect every vote.”
Stone said either way, some obvious fallacies in the system need to be addressed.
“We need to have an accurate system … and that requires changes,” Stone said.
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No changes are necessary in this area and I’m laughing at the part about Bush Supporters worrying about fraud especially after the 2000 election. Bush and the Republican party are out to destroy our democracy as we know it. Their greed and thirst for power is frightening. Who knows what they’re capable of. This is how totalitarian governments begin.
“Their greed and thirst for power is frightening.” Yes, requiring a photo id, very frightening!
Those greedy Republicans even make me show a photo ID at Milwaukee County libraries to check out books, and to write a check at the grocery store. And can you believe those Republicans, out to destroy our democracy by making have a photo id to drive a car?!
Those damn Republicans!
Could you give an example of a totalitarian government that started by requiring identification for voting?
Checking out library books and writing checks are not rights, they are privileges. (Poor analogies make sarcasm sound so childish.) But I would say that Republicans would often make the comparison between privileges and voting in all seriousness.
This bill would require every voter (even those who request absentee ballots) to show a state or military issued identification card (state ID or driver's license — University IDs will not be accepted as proper identification). The cost of these ID's would be $9 and, as far as I know, they would only be available at the Department of Motor Vehicles locations, none of which are walking distance from campus. As you can see, this would pose an enormous obstacle to those students who are from out of state and do not have in-state identification or students who have lost their current identification. I think we all know that we could not have gotten such great student turnout in the fall elections if every student had to present WI identification. Our state has a history of setting very progressive election laws that encourage all eligible citizens, regardless of race, class, age, etc. to participate in the democratic process.
There will be a hearing in Madison on Thursday, February 3 at 10am in room 300 North East of the Capital. I encourage all students to attend this hearing and testify about how this legislation would hurt students' ability to vote and their ability to run strong Get Out The Vote (GOTV) campaigns on campus. If you cannot attend the meeting but still want to make your voice heard, please find out who your Assembly Representative is ( http://165.189.139.210/WAML/ ) and notify them of your stance on this matter.