Fwd: LWV-WI Advisory on Voter Education
jrsime chorus.net
From: lwvdc <lw...@chorus.net>
Date: Mon, Jun 27, 2011 at 8:21 AM
Subject: LWV-WI Advisory on Voter Education
To: lwvdc <lw...@chorus.net>
From Andrea Kaminski, LWV-WI Executive Director
PRESS ADVISORY Contact: Melanie G. Ramey, President
June 27, 2011 (608) 233-7166
VOTER INFORMATION FOR SUMMER 2011 ELECTIONS
MADISON: The League of Women Voters of Wisconsin Education Fund seeks to inform voters of what to expect in the elections this summer. The League also is organizing a major election observer program which will place poll watchers in the Senate recall elections in August.
“The controversial voter ID law was recently signed by the Governor, giving election officials and voting rights advocates only a few short weeks to educate voters before the unprecedented number of recall elections scheduled for this summer. Parts of the new law go into effect immediately and this is likely to cause confusion for voters and election officials alike. The League of Women Voters is working to help ensure that every eligible citizen who wants to cast a vote can do so and have it count,” said Andrea Kaminski, Executive Director.
Elections this summer
Nine state Senate districts will have recall elections this summer. In addition the 48th Assembly District, in Dane County, will have a special election to fill the seat vacated by Joe Parisi. The Government Accountability Board has a listing of the affected districts and the counties they include (http://gab.wi.gov/elections-voting/results).
• Senate districts 2, 8, 10, 14, 18, 32 and Assembly district 48 will have a primary election July 12 and general election August 9.
• Senate districts 12, 22 and 30 will have a primary July 19 and general election Aug. 16.
New procedures
Although citizens will be asked to show an official photo ID, they are not required to do so to obtain a regular ballot in this summer’s elections. Voters who do not have the required photo ID will receive an informational sheet about the ID that will be required for voting beginning in 2012.
The new election law requires a person to be a resident of a voting district for at least 28 consecutive days prior to the election. The 28 day deadline for the July elections has already past. Citizens who have moved more recently may vote in their old district.
If your name is not on the poll list when you go to vote, you may register at the polling place. Under federal and state law, when registering to vote, you must prove who you are and where you live. You will have to supply a Wisconsin driver license number or Wisconsin state ID card number. If you have not been issued one of these IDs, you may use the last four digits of your Social Security number. If you have never been issued any of these numbers, you will be assigned a unique voter number.
To prove your residency in the voting district, a Wisconsin driver license or Wisconsin ID card with your current address is acceptable, as are several other specific official documents. Check with the GAB (http://gab.wi.gov/) or your municipal clerk for more information. Under the new state law, citizens no longer may use corroboration by a neighbor or relative to establish residency.
In a new procedure for Wisconsin, voters will be required to sign the poll book in order to get a ballot.
New time period for absentee voting in your clerk’s office
The new law has shortened the period when citizens may cast an absentee vote in their municipal clerk’s office. It is now a two-week period that ends at the close of business on the Friday before the election.
Where to go for information about the elections and the candidates
Watch for new voting information on the GAB website: http://gab.wi.gov/elections-voting/photo-id.
Watch for the League of Women Voters’ online “candidates’ answers” voter guide, which will be posted on our website (www.lwvwi.org) the first week of July.
Volunteers needed for poll watching
The League of Women Voters, working with several other nonpartisan groups, is organizing an election observer program for the August elections. The League is working to recruit, train and place volunteers in polling places in all of the Senate recall districts.
“The League is concerned that the new law may not be implemented evenly across the state and could be used to disenfranchise voters. We are looking for volunteers to be our eyes and ears to report on what happens in the Senate recall elections in August,” Kaminski said.
To volunteer, send an email to lwvwis...@lwvwi.org or sign up on the League’s website (www.lwvwi.org).
###
The League of Women Voters of Wisconsin Education Fund is a nonprofit, nonpartisan membership organization that promotes informed and active participation in government. Through member-led research, public education and direct advocacy, the League works to improve public participation in the democratic process and to champion public policy goals that are beneficial to all. There are 16 local Leagues in Wisconsin.
The League of Women Voters of Dane County, Inc.
2712 Marshall Court, Suite 2, Madison, WI 53705