UW-Madison students can register to vote at their campus addresses without facing consequences for registering in locations away from their hometowns, despite recent controversy over the issue in other states.
Virginia Tech students were discouraged from registering to vote when local election officials issued two statements last month incorrectly warning them against registering at their college residencies, according to The New York Times.
The statements said students could lose scholarships, the ability to be claimed as a dependent by their parents and coverage on their parents' insurance if they registered under their college addresses.
There is no state or federal law that would bar students from scholarships or insurance provided by their parents because the student registered to vote at a new location, according to Kyle Richmond, public information officer for the Wisconsin Government Accountability Board.
Richmond said Wisconsin does not put unreasonable barriers on the right to vote and students can easily take part in the registration process.
College students in Madison are well aware they can establish residency quickly and vote on Election Day, according to Richmond. In Wisconsin, voters can even register on Election Day.
Wisconsin is supportive of having students register and vote,"" he said, adding the registration process for a student is the same as it is for someone moving to a new city for a job.
To register to vote in Wisconsin, citizens must provide proof of residency for a minimum of 10 days prior to Election Day, according to Dane County Clerk Robert Ohlsen.
Ohlsen said it is safe to register with campaign workers, but students can also have the option of registering at polling sites.
""Campaign groups offering to register students on the streets are probably legitimate,"" Ohlsen said.
Fratney Miller, policy analyst at the Center for State Innovation, said students can vote at either their permanent addresses or where they are attending school.
This means even students from other states can vote in Wisconsin elections.
According to Miller, if students register to vote on campus it will not affect their permanent residencies or cause them to be considered independent from their parents.
Miller said voter turnout will be affected anytime there is confusion about voting, but there are organizations devoted to making sure people know what their voting rights are.
