Despite Governor Jim Doyle's veto threat, Republican lawmakers re-introduced a bill into the legislature this week that would require voters to present photo identification before voting, generating what will hopefully become a statewide dialogue concerning the condition of electoral security in Wisconsin.
In order to prevent voter fraud, the Voter Identification Bill calls for poll workers to verify a voter's identity and residency before allowing them to cast a ballot or register to vote on Election Day. For most people, this would only entail the display of military- or state-issued identification or a Wisconsin driver's license. Also, absentee voters would have to attach a copy of their identification to their ballot. Given the serious nature of Milwaukee's electoral irregularities last November, there is increased impetus to do something about an apparently flawed system.
According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, more than 7,000 people who voted in Milwaukee last November cannot be accounted for in Milwaukee city records. The FBI has opened an investigation into this and other voting abnormalities, emphasizing the need for greater accountability.
Where the Voter ID Bill provides state funding for those who cannot afford the nine-dollar identification card and allows for exceptions, such as accommodating voters who have religious qualms about having their picture taken, the Republican plan is certainly not proof. If enacted, it has the potential to seriously hinder the voting rights of students-many of whom live away from home and do not have a local address on their ID-and the non-driving elderly. A few amendments to the proposition would ensure that the only disenfranchised voters are those that vote illegally.
In the case of college students, those who vote on campus could show proof of residency in their ward by bringing delivered mail or a copy of their lease to the polling place. Although tedious, this is a small task to guarantee the validity of our elections. Those who lack photo identification-a group of voting-aged citizens estimated to be approximately 123,000 strong-would need to obtain it, which could prove difficult for non-driving and secluded voters. Therefore, the bill should direct and fund state social service employees to make opportunities available for such citizens to acquire identification. Also, a state-sponsored information campaign concerning the changes in voting procedure is a necessity.
We take great pride in Wisconsin's tradition of remarkable voter turnout-nearly 70 percent last November-as one of the best in the nation, thanks largely to our comparatively laid-back registration and voting system. As the 2000 and 2004 Presidential elections have demonstrated, each and every vote cast counts.
We owe it to ourselves, our state and our nation to make certain that everyone who is able to vote can and that all who vote do so lawfully. With minor alterations, the Voter ID Bill will return credibility to and strengthen Wisconsin's voting system. This time around, the governor has no choice-increased ballot-box security is a Wisconsin responsibility.
