NEWS
Doyle vetoes GOP-sponsored voter ID bill
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by Bassey Etim
Monday, May 2, 2005
Despite attempts by the Republican dominated state Legislature to address previous concerns of voter fraud, Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle vetoed legislation requiring a valid photo identification card at the polls for the second time during his tenure.
Doyle asserted that while some reform is needed within Wisconsin’s election process, the proposed bill would not remedy the state’s management and process problems, according to a release.
“[The photo ID bill] would make voting more difficult for about 100,000 senior citizens who don’t have driver’s licenses — many of whom live in nursing homes.” Doyle said in the release.
Republicans expressed disappointment that the state failed to address voter fraud, which they claim nullifies the votes cast by honest citizens. Eric Schutt, chief of staff for State Sen. Joe Leibham, R-Sheboygan, sees the photo ID requirement as one way to restore integrity to Wisconsin’s election process.
“Seventy percent of municipal court clerks feel [photo ID legislation] would help improve the system. These are the people on the front lines in conducting elections across the state,” Schutt said.
State Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Madison, said he believes Republicans exaggerated the state’s voter fraud problems. Pocan added there has been only one prosecuted case of voter fraud during the last cycle.
“The only person that has been charged up until a few weeks ago was a former College Republican in the De Pere area … so this hasn’t been a problem among anyone except, well, College Republicans,” Pocan chuckled.
Pocan added problems such as felons voting in the Milwaukee area have been addressed by the statewide voter database and the Help America Vote Act. He senses the motive behind voter ID legislation is partisan politics. Pocan said he believes that in a state with turnout as high as Wisconsin’s, the Republican’s best chance to stop losing statewide elections is to suppress turnout within Democratic constituencies.
Pocan also echoed Doyle’s assertion that this legislation would disenfranchise students, senior citizens and the poor.
“In general, the people behind this bill want to see voter suppression.” Pocan said. “To be plain and simple, it’s a numbers equation for them. If they can suppress senior citizens, students and people with lower incomes … they can try to steal an election.”
Proponents of the measure claim this bill addressed those issues, noting it contains provisions allowing those without ID to vote. A third party could verify ones identity, or a provisional ballot could be cast giving voters another day to identify themselves. In addition, Shutt rejects the notion the vetoed proposal would disproportionately affect college students, claiming the bill has been misrepresented.
“[The current address requirement] is a myth about the legislation, a photo ID is only to verify the identity of someone. This does nothing with regards to requiring that an updated address be on it,” Shutt said.
State Republicans have vowed an attempt to overturn the veto. However, the bill passed by margins just short of the two-thirds majority required to overturn a veto. As the 12 opposing votes in the state Senate were from Democrats, acquiring enough votes to push the bill into law seems an unlikely proposition.
