For the last two weeks, the political conversation in Wisconsin has revolved almost entirely around the Nov. 4 general election and the state’s new photo ID law. While Wisconsinites are justifiably outraged about a law that disenfranchises students and low-income residents, voters face even larger problems that may have been overlooked. Since Gov. Scott Walker took office, state Republicans have passed several vote-restricting laws that should leave us all concerned for the future of Wisconsin.
Due to this new legislation, even the simple act of registering to vote has been made more difficult for Wisconsin voters. As of April of this year, new voters must show proof of residence when registering before Election Day. How many students do you know carry around their lease or have their current address on their driver’s license? Fortunately, if you have registered on campus this year, students are able to prove their residence through the University of Wisconsin Student Center. However, the process takes longer and often discourages young voters, students and non-students alike, from taking the time to register. The College Democrats have been working hard every day to register and empower students, in order to give them a voice in spite of this silencing legislation.
Since Walker took office, early voting hours have been reduced two separate times, the most recent of which was last March. Early voting was reduced to just two weeks, excluding weekends, and hours were cut to just 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. The point of early voting hours should be to allow people who can’t take off work on Election Day to get to the polls at a more convenient time. Employers are obligated to allow employees to take off work to vote, but they do not have to pay them during that time; for some Wisconsinites, missing work is not an option. By restricting hours, Republicans have made the early voting process confusing and less convenient. This is especially true in highly-populated urban areas like Milwaukee and Madison, where voters are less likely to be able to take off work, and are more likely to vote Democratic.
Obviously the most difficult and blatantly obstructive is the new photo ID law that went into effect just two months before the election.
Luckily for students here in Madison and across the state, many colleges have begun printing free student IDs that comply with the law. Requiring photo identification, especially so close to Election Day, disenfranchises young and low-income voters, but it also complicates the process for those seeking to vote absentee. According to the Journal Sentinel, more than 11,000 Wisconsinites already sent in requests for absentee ballots, and will now have to re-send a copy of their ID before they can vote. Without adequate instructions or the time necessary to correct this issue, many voters may not be able to get their votes in on time.
According to the Government Accountability Board, as of Sept. 1, Wisconsin has more than 3,380,000 registered voters. In Madison alone, there were more than 170,000 voters registered, and the College Democrats and Badgers for Burke are working hard to register as many students as possible. The question is, then, why are Walker and the Republican Party actively making it harder for Wisconsinites to vote? We should be encouraging everyone, especially young people, to become involved in democracy, not making convoluted laws that discourage turnout. Unlike Walker, Mary Burke believes in the voice of Wisconsin voters, and that is why we will be proud to support her Nov. 4. Together, we can show Walker that we can, and will, turn out and vote despite these new challenges.
