Two Dane County employees jointly announced a proposal to aid area citizens in obtaining identification to vote in future elections in accordance with the voter ID law.
Dane County Executive Joe Parisi and Dane County Board Chair Scott McDonell proposed a plan allowing people born in Dane County to receive a birth certificate for voting purposes only, free of charge, according to a statement from the two county board members.
The proposal was modeled after a program already implemented in Milwaukee County, Dane County Clerk Karen Peters said. Residents seeking a free birth certificate must state in writing the birth certificate is only for the purpose of obtaining a type of official identification card used to vote.
Under current Wisconsin law, residents are required to show state-issued identification to vote in an election. The Department of Transportation will issue an identification card to vote free of charge to individuals who present a birth certificate, but many citizens are unable to afford them, according to a statement by Parisi and McDonell.
Birth certificates can currently be issued to citizens for $20 at the Dane County Register of Deeds, Peters said.
The statement said the driving force behind the proposal offering Dane County residents a free birth certificate is the concern that the voter ID law could “disenfranchise voters.”
“The state’s voter ID law continues to have flaws that could lead to the disenfranchisement of voters – particularly minorities, those who are homeless, the elderly or students,” Parisi said in the statement. “The county’s effort is critical to protecting the integrity of our elections and preserving our citizens’ right to vote.”
According to Peters, approximately 10 percent of Madison voters do not have the proper identification to vote in the upcoming elections.
Peters said the proposal is a step in the right direction to aid Dane County residents in the voting process.
“I think it will definitely help because in Dane County we do have a group of people, like the elderly, that appear not to have this document in order to get their ID,” Peters said. “I think it’s good that it’s out there as an option because people will need it.”
Dane County Supervisor Dianne Hesselbein, District 9, also expressed her support of the proposal.
She said she was happy Dane County was taking steps to guarantee as many people vote in Dane County as possible.
“I am so grateful that when the state of Wisconsin drops the ball, Dane county picks it up,” Hesselbein said. “It is so important that we have as many people voting in Dane County as possible.”
According to the statement, the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University estimated 11 percent of Wisconsin voters do not have the appropriate photo identification needed to vote in an election. The center also said ID requirement issues “fall disproportionately” to minority and low-income residents.
Peters said the proposal is currently being circulated to gather sponsors. The Dane County Board will address the proposal and vote for its implementation at its next meeting, scheduled March 1. If approved, the proposal would go into effect within the week.
