By passing 2011 Wisconsin Act 23, otherwise known as the Voter ID law, Wisconsin's Republican legislature moved Wisconsin from being one of the most inclusive states to one of the most restrictive in terms of voting rights. However, action by UW students and Wisconsin citizens, and a timely response from the UW-Madison administration, has resulted in at least one victory against attempts to limit student rights.
Republican leaders in the State Legislature pushed for quick passage of a voter ID bill because of alleged cases of voter fraud manipulating elections in Wisconsin. However, the original bill did not allow for any form of student identification cards as acceptable voter ID, which endangered hundreds of thousands of students' Constitutional rights.
Thanks to quick student mobilization and action, largely by the cooperative organization Save the Student Voice: Stop SB6—composed of The Young Progressives, College Democrats and other UW student orgs—a form of student ID cards were included in the final bill. However, the requirements in the bill, which include a signature, date of issuance and expiration date, are so restrictive that no Wisconsin college or university currently issues cards that meet them. Issuing new ID cards is expensive, so it's understandable that many institutions are hesitant to do so in this period of financial uncertainty. UW-Madison may have to spend $700,000 every two years on new IDs as a result of this law—even though, as Sen. Jon Erpenbach , D-Waunakee, noted, ""We don't have election fraud problems in Wisconsin ... we have less than a handful of fraud cases.""
This fall, The Young Progressives and Gene and Sandy Lundergan of MoveOn.Org circulated a petition that amassed more than eight thousand signatures of citizens and students alike, asking the UW-Madison administration to find a solution for the thousands of students affected by this bill. The administration responded: By the spring 2012 primaries, students will have access through the university to a compliant form of ID, says Lori Berquam, UW's Dean of Students.
""Our campus has long encouraged our students to engage in active public debates surrounding important issues. Every election cycle, we work to ensure that students are informed about the locations and various qualifications for voting, while allowing them to make their own decisions on the day's issues,"" said Berquam in a letter to The Young Progressives in response to the petition. ""We intend for a decision to be reached between these options in time for students to be ready and equipped with compliant IDs in time to use them for the spring primaries in February.""
The university is currently in the process of deciding whether this ID will be a reissuance of or separate from students' Wiscards. Regardless, it will carry a high monetary cost. An earlier proposal to allow stickers to modify student ID cards was put aside in what Young Progressives President Steve Hughes called ""disappointing proof that Gov. Walker and the Fitzgerald brothers will continue to attack students' right to vote."" Thankfully, the administration recognizes that student voting is a priority and is willing to commit to helping students exercise their constitutional right to participate in elections. Dean of Students Lori Berquam noted that UW-Madison ""has long encouraged... students to engage in active public debates surrounding important issues.We hope to continue that legacy long into the future.""
This fight is not over. A plan to create compliant ID cards for UW-Madison students is obviously a step forward for the students of this university, but for thousands of other students across the state—and for those who are not enrolled in school—obtaining an ID card that satisfies the new law may be difficult. Having obtained a commitment from the administration to help us vote, UW-Madison students need to make sure to get to the polls not only for the general election in November 2012, but also for spring elections. Let's prove that efforts to disenfranchise the student population will not succeed.
Fiona Cahill is Issues and Candidates Director for The Young Progressives. Both Fiona and Janel serve on the Executive Committee. Please send all feedback to opinion@dailycardinal.
