The Associated Students of Madison University Affairs Committee met Wednesday to discuss the impact of voter ID provisions in Senate Bill 295.
The bill, which passed the Wisconsin Senate earlier this month, created online voter registration, but only for those with state-issued ID cards such as driver’s licenses. Online registration would allow voters to vote only from the district marked on the address on their ID card.
Members of the committee voiced their concern for the implications of this bill for UW-Madison students.
“That’s not democracy,” said committee Chair Sally Rohrer. “If we can’t vote where we’re living then we can’t affect the public policy in our area.”
The bill also eliminated special registration deputies who register voters prior to the election. Rohrer explained that if a student is registered to vote on campus it is probably done by a Special Registration Deputy.
University Affairs committee members went on to discuss possible steps that can be taken against the bill, including adding an address on the voter ID cards that can be obtained from Union South or introducing an amendment to reinstate SRDs.
Also at the meeting, Rohrer and other committee members went over upcoming events and campaigns they are holding.
University Affairs is organizing a coalition of UW-Madison students to register other young people from across the state to vote in the election in August.
“What really matters is the August election when the entire assembly is up for re-election,” Rohner explained.
The committee is also planning a march on March 8, the anniversary of the march on Selma.
“It’s going to be a march to commemorate the outcome of the march on Selma and to recognize the voting rights issues that we’re still working on today,” Rohrer said.
