The Government Accountability Board’s recent approval of another University of Wisconsin System campus’ design for student identification cards that comply with the Voter ID law marks the eighth campus to adopt a plan addressing students affected by the new voting laws.
According to UW System spokesperson David Giroux, UW-Stevens Point will be the eighth four-year UW System campus to provide secondary identification cards to students who need them to vote under the law’s provisions.
The other UW System campuses that plan to provide ID cards include UW-Madison, UW-Green Bay, UW-Eau Claire, UW-La Crosse, UW-Milwaukee, UW-Whitewater and UW-Superior, Giroux said.
“Stevens Point just got their card approved the other day, bringing the grand total up to eight of the four-year campuses,” Giroux said. “Five of the (remaining) four-year campuses are still in the works.”
These cards will include a student’s signature and will expire within two years. Not every student will require an additional ID for voting, as the bill mainly affects out-of-state students or those without drivers licenses.
Obtaining a voter student ID card should be an easy process for eligible students on these eight campuses, according to Giroux.
“In most cases, these cards are available upon request, and it’s up to students to find out where and when they are available,” Giroux said. “Not everyone will need one of these cards to vote with.”
Unlike the other universities issuing new cards, Giroux said UW-Superior is redesigning its primary ID cards to comply fully with the new restrictions and reissuing them to students.
UW-Superior Student Government Association President Emily Borra said in an email to The Badger Herald that these new identification cards began to be issued this year to incoming students, while older students were given the option of trading in their old cards free of charge.
“It’s a pretty slick system,” Borra said. “I’m glad switching over has gone so smoothly for us.”
UW-Whitewater Student Government President Patrick Johnson said in an email to The Badger Herald that the Whitewater campus’ transitioning process has proved timely, effective and smooth thus far.
Johnson emphasized the importance of educational outreach surrounding the new voting regulations, saying it is a main component both on campus and across the Whitewater community.
“We are pleased as students with how our administration handled this and worked with the student body to see what was needed,” Johnson said.
The costs of the new identification cards fall to each individual institution, Giroux said. Issuing a second ID is less expensive than replacing the smart cards students currently carry, he said.
The other five four-year campuses and UW System Colleges are still weighing their options, but they are all working to comply with the regulations in some way to enable students to vote, Giroux said.
Any option decided upon must ultimately be approved by the GAB, he said.
Giroux also said the UW System is glad to be aiding students interested in voting.
“We think student participation is an important part of the college experience and are trying to do everything we can to help students vote,” Giroux said.
Officials on the UW-Madison campus recently announced the university will be providing students with a supplemental ID card in a Nov. 21 release. These will be available in the Union South Wiscard office starting Jan. 23.
