Wisconsin: Election officials wary over cost, implementation of Wisconsin voter ID bill | LaCrosse Tribune

Election officials across Wisconsin are bracing for a difficult transition as the state rushes into place new rules for voting signed into law by Gov. Scott Walker Wednesday — including a controversial measure requiring voters to use photo identification.

Passage of the law, which has been discussed by Republicans for more than a decade, means those charged with enforcing it have less than two months to develop and implement the training needed to handle polls in the coming recall elections.

“This will be a huge undertaking, to get everything and everybody ready,” said Diane Hermann-Brown, Sun Prairie city clerk and president of the Wisconsin Municipal Clerks Association. “We still have questions about how this will work.”

Wisconsin: Correcting the Record: Merchants are not required to ask for ID when using a credit card | Dane101

In many of the articles I've read regarding the Voter ID legislation that was signed into law by Gov. Scott Walker yesterday I've seen a variation of the following statement from officials who support the legislation. This version of the statement comes from Oneida County Clerk Mary Bartlet:

""You have to show an ID to buy liquor, you have to show an ID to use a credit card so why not?" "

This simply isn't true. You do not "have to show an ID to use a credit card." There is no law in the State of Wisconsin that makes that a requirement. There is no federal law that makes that a requirement.

Wisconsin: Election officials wary as Walker signs Wisconsin voter ID bill into law

Election officials across Wisconsin are bracing for a difficult transition as the state rushes into place new rules for voting signed into law by Gov. Scott Walker Wednesday — including a controversial measure requiring voters to use photo IDs. Passage of the controversial law, which has been discussed by Republicans for more than a decade, means those charged with enforcing it have just under two months to develop and implement the training needed to handle polls in the coming recall elections.

“This will be a huge undertaking, to get everything and everybody ready,” said Diane Hermann-Brown, Sun Prairie city clerk and president of the Wisconsin Municipal Clerks Association. “We still have questions about how this will work.”

Wisconsin: Wisconsin governor signs controversial voter ID law | Reuters

The Republican governor of Wisconsin signed a bill on Wednesday that will require voters in the state to show photo identification when they go to the polls.

The measure, which Democrats characterize as a voter suppression effort but Republicans defend as a protection against fraud at the polls, will take partial effect just as nine state senators — including six of Governor Scott Walker’s Republican allies — face recall challenges in mid-July.

Wisconsin: Voter ID law could cause headaches in Wisconsin | Wausau Daily Herald

Senior citizens who don’t drive and University of Wisconsin students who depend on their student IDs to vote are among those who could be turned away from the polls on election days.

Gov. Scott Walker on Wednesday signed into law a bill requiring voters to show some form of photo identification — such as a driver’s license, state-issued ID card, military or tribal ID or passport — before they can vote. College students can vote with a student ID that bears a signature and an expiration date within two years of the card’s issuance, but UW student IDs currently don’t fulfill that requirement.

Wisconsin: Voter ID Law Could Bring Confusion To Wisconsin Voters | WISN Milwaukee

Wisconsin voters will be required to show identification at the polls before casting a ballot. Gov. Scott Walker signed the voter ID bill into law on Wednesday.

…  The Government Accountability Board is already gearing up, preparing a $650,000 for public education campaign. “We will be working on developing billboards and television commercials and other sorts of communications to get the word out,” said Reid Magney of the Government Accountability Board.

Election officials around the state have to jump right in, especially those such as Milwaukee’s Sue Edman, who have Senate recall elections, just a little more than a month away.

Wisconsin: Wisconsin Set to Pass Country’s Most Restrictive Voter ID Law | Colorlines

Wisconsin will soon have the what’s arguably the nation’s most restrictive voter ID law. The bill was passed through the the Republican-led Senate late last week and is expected be signed into law by Gov. Scott Walker on Wednesday. Voter rights advocates are worried that the new bill will keep some of the Democratic party’s key constituents away from the polls in 2012. And as more bills sweep across the country, concern is growing over the GOP’s push to fix a problem that, statistically, just doesn’t exist.

But that wasn’t a concern of Republican Governor Scott Walker last week when the bill passed the state Senate. “Requiring a photo identification to vote will go a long way to eliminate the threat of voter fraud,” Walker told the Wisconsin State Journal. “If you need an ID to buy cold medicine, it’s reasonable to require it to vote.”

Editorials: Our view: Walker signing law we don’t need | LaCrosse Tribune

With the stroke of a pen today, Gov. Scott Walker will officially solve a problem that we don’t have. If you listen to Walker and some fellow governors, they’re protecting the integrity of elections and preventing voter fraud.

If you ask most everyone else, it’s a slick way of making it more difficult for people to vote — especially people who are less likely to vote for Walker and his Republican colleagues.

Wisconsin: Voter ID bill will be costly for Wisconsin universities | WQOW TV

Rindo says it would cost the university more than $100,000 to replace all student IDs.

A bill to cut down on voter fraud could have universities cutting up student IDs and starting over.  Governor Walker is expected to sign a voter ID bill into law this week.

Voters would be required to have a driver’s license, state issued ID or student ID to vote.  University officials say efforts to make it easier for students to vote are welcome. 

Wisconsin: State board declares Prosser winner in Wisconsin Supreme Court Recount | JSOnline

State elections officials on Monday certified the results of the recount of the April 5 election for state Supreme Court, declaring that Justice David Prosser has been re-elected to another 10-year term on the court by 7,004 votes.

“I look forward to taking the oath of office and continuing to serve in a fair and independent manner as a member of the Wisconsin Supreme Court,” Prosser said a statement.

Wisconsin: Prosser wins recount in Wisconsin Supreme Court race – Kloppenburg weighs challenge | JSOnline

Certified vote totals, minutes and other details are available at the Government Accountability Board website.

With the weeks-long recount complete, unofficial numbers confirm that state Supreme Court Justice David Prosser narrowly defeated Assistant Attorney General JoAnne Kloppenburg in the April 5 election. But the battle may not be over yet, as Kloppenburg mulls whether to challenge the results in court.

And if a legal contest goes on long enough, attorneys say it could delay efforts to swear Prosser in for a new term on Aug. 1, leading to a temporary vacancy on the closely divided high court.

Wisconsin: Recount in Wisconsin Supreme Court race to serve as tool for improving election process | JSOnline

With Waukesha County’s plodding recount in the Supreme Court now over and with Justice David Prosser’s statewide win almost certain to be certified as early as Monday, the state’s top election official said lessons from the recount will not be ignored.

“This isn’t something you do and just put it on the shelf,” said Kevin Kennedy, executive director of the Government Accountability Board. The detailed recount record serves a public purpose as an opportunity to evaluate clerk training and election procedures and to make changes where needed.

“We will devote a lot of energy to that between now and this fall’s elections,” he said.

Wisconsin: Senate president can’t gavel down truth: Wisconsin Voter ID bill is voter suppression bill | Cap Times

Senate President Mike Ellis, under pressure from Gov. Scott Walker and the out-of-state political interests that seek to game our politics, lost it last week.

The Neenah Republican was literally sputtering, grumbling “shut up” and banging his gavel in order to silence senators who sought to raise legitimate objections about the rush to pass a voter ID bill. The legislation in question was written by Washington-based political strategists with an eye toward disenfranchising students, the elderly, people of color and low-income urban and rural citizens going into the 2012 presidential election.

Ellis tried to silence the senior member of the Wisconsin Legislature — indeed, the senior legislator in the nation — but state Sen. Fred Risser, D-Madison, calmly continued to outline the fundamental flaws in the voter ID bill. Ellis and his Republican colleagues may not have wanted to hear it, but Risser was saying something important, something every Wisconsinite should recognize.

Wisconsin: Getting Ready for the New Wisconsin Voter ID Law | WUWM

Wisconsin lawmakers approved a bill last Thursday changing state voting rules. Gov. Scott Walker says he’ll sign the bill into law this week.

The major new mandate is that voters will have to show a photo ID. People must also live at an address for 28 days before they vote in that precinct. And the bill moves up the deadline for casting absentee ballots.

As WUWM’s Ann-Elise Henzl reports, groups that had fought the changes now say they’ll now focus on helping residents navigate the new rules, especially in obtaining acceptable ids.

Wisconsin: Tale of the Tapes: Wisconsin’s ‘Dog-and-Pony Show’ Faith-Based Supreme Court Election ‘Recount’ | The Brad Blog

For weeks, we’ve been reporting on the mess seen in the statewide “recount” of Wisconsin’s very close and very contentious April 5th Supreme Court election between Republican incumbent Justice David Prosser and his challenger, Asst. Attorney General JoAnne Kloppenburg.

As The BRAD BLOG obtained evidence of new irregularities this week — to add to previously reported revelations of, among other irregularities, ballot bags discovered “wide open” with mismatched or missing serial numbers as well as ballots discovered completely unsecured, all in violation of the secure chain of custody, and other similar messes and mistallies across the state — we wanted to find out if the state’s chief election agency, the Government Accountability Board (G.A.B.), was able to confirm that the ballots counted during the “recount” were actually the ones cast on Election Day. And, if so, how they could confirm that.

Wisconsin: College students could be affected by Wisconsin Voter ID Bill | weau.com

A few college students we talked to at UW-Eau Claire say they haven’t heard much about the Voter ID Bill, but they say at face value, it sounds like a good idea.

“I think it’s probably a good thing, to at least show that you are who you say you are instead of having someone representing you or falsifying you and stealing your vote,” says new UW-Eau Claire transfer student Eric Wisz.

The bill would require each voter to show a valid photo ID with their current address on it. “That I don’t actually have,” says Wisz. “I think it could make it difficult, especially for college students and those who move a lot.”

Wisconsin: Senate passes Wisconsin voter ID bill, sends to Walker | Wisconsin Law Journal

The state Senate gave final legislative approval to a bill that would require Wisconsin voters to show photo identification during a ragged session Thursday, clearing the way for Gov. Scott Walker to sign the measure into law next week.

Assembly Republicans passed the measure in a late-night session last week. Republicans who control the Senate brought the bill up for debate on Tuesday. Democrats railed against it into the early morning hours on Wednesday, finally using a procedural maneuver to delay the final vote until Thursday.

Wisconsin: GOP legislative aide under investigation for voter fraud

A Republican legislative aide is under investigation for possible vote fraud after she cast her ballot in the November election in Onalaska although she lives in Madison.

La Crosse County District Attorney Tim Gruenke said he has forwarded the report from the Onalaska Police Department to Dane County District Attorney Ismael Ozanne to see if criminal charges are warranted against Marcie Malszycki, 30, an aide to state Rep. Warren Petryk, R-Eleva. 

Editorials: John Nichols: Effort to thwart Southern-style voter suppression necessary and appropriate | madison.com

State Senate Democrats used a procedural maneuver earlier this week to block the final roll call on the voter ID bill that Gov. Scott Walker and his allies have advanced in order to game the political process to favor their chosen candidates. The Democratic moves delayed the Senate vote until today, when it is likely that the Republican-controlled Senate will approve what can only be described as an assault on Wisconsin tradition of encouraging high levels of voter participation.

The wrangling of the moment between Republicans and Democrats has made this seem like a partisan struggle. But it is not really that. The Wisconsin Republicans of not too many years ago would have joined Democrats in opposing this bill. That’s because Wisconsin has a history of bipartisan commitment to expanding the franchise, not narrowing it.

Wisconsin: Joanne Kloppenburg: Why recounts are a vital part of election process | JSOnline

The Journal Sentinel Editorial Board is entitled to its own opinions but it is not entitled to its own facts. The board’s speculation about my motives regarding the recount of the vote in the Supreme Court election is inaccurate. I appreciate this opportunity to set the record straight.

The recount process in Wisconsin is unfolding as prescribed by Wisconsin law. Votes are recounted in all 72 counties, and an official record is made of that process. When the Editorial Board says the recount is a “mere preamble to the court challenge,” it is wrong on the facts and wrong to prejudge my intentions.

Wisconsin law specifically anticipates that there may be court challenges to the recount, but those challenges can only happen after the recount is done. The recount is not “merely” a preamble to anything: It is a process that proceeds in prescribed ways when an election is this close.

Wisconsin: Senate poised to pass Wisconsin voter ID bill | weau.com

The state Senate is set to finally pass a bill that would require Wisconsinvoters to show photo identification at the polls. Republicans who control the chamber hoped to pass the bill on Tuesday. But Democrats railed against the plan for nine hours before ultimately using a procedural move to delay the vote until Thursday.

Republicans have been working for years to pass the plan, saying it’s needed to fight voter fraud. Democrats maintain serious voter fraud doesn’t exist and Republicans actually want to disenfranchise pro-Democrat groups. Former Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle vetoed the bill three times between 2002 and 2005.

Wisconsin: Senate vote on photo ID bill delayed until Thursday | JSOnline

Senate Republicans gave initial approval early Wednesday to a bill requiring voters to show photo ID at the polls, but Democrats blocked a final vote on the measure until Thursday.

Senators signaled their approval of the bill on a voice vote, with Republicans who control the house voting for it and Democrats opposed. That vote came at 12:30 a.m., after more than 10 hours of debate, but Democrats used Senate rules to prevent the final vote.

Wisconsin: Colleagues see Nickolaus as insular, hardworking | JSOnline

Kathy Nickolaus, the county clerk at the center of the state Supreme Court election controversy and the focus of an ongoing state elections investigation, has been described by colleagues and acquaintances as headstrong and insular, hardworking and independent.

She came to local public office, where constituents are the boss, from a staff job at the state Capitol, where partisan politics and loyalty to the party caucus fomented team warfare.

“I dont think shes ever gotten past that,” said Pam Reeves, the Republican elected county treasurer two years before Nickolaus arrival at the courthouse. “From the beginning she put up walls: Youre not going to tell me what to do. Then she put up more walls.”

Wisconsin: Taxpayers picking up over $230,000 cost of Wisconsin Supreme Court recount | Chippewa Herald

Wisconsin taxpayers so far are on the hook for more than a quarter-million dollars in the recount of votes in the Wisconsin Supreme Court race. The statewide recount of ballots in the Wisconsin Supreme Court race will cost the state at least $230,000, according to updated financial data gathered by Wisconsin Reporter.

As of Friday, initial recount cost estimates from 57 of the state’s 72 counties totaled $233,539, county officials said. That’s less than half of the Government Accountability Board’s initial estimate of $500,000, though figures from several of the state’s larger counties, including Milwaukee and Ozaukee, were unavailable.

Wisconsin: City of Brookfield Ballot Bags Found “Wide Open” in Waukesha County, Wisconsin | Truthout

Five out of six bags of bal­lots from first batch to be co­un­ted out of the City of Brook­field in Waukes­ha Co­un­ty, Wis­consin today were dis­covered “al­most wide open” dur­ing Day 9 of the statewide Sup­reme Court elec­tion “re­count.” The bags were open and un­sealed, ac­cord­ing to both photog­raphic evi­d­ence and an eye-witnesses ac­count from the co­unt­ing room.

“When the bal­lot bags were taken out and placed upon the co­unt­ing table, we were lit­eral­ly stun­ned,” one of the citiz­en ob­serv­ers, Mary Mag­nuson, a Klop­penburg volun­te­er, told The BRAD BLOG this morn­ing. “5 out of the 6 bal­lot bags were al­most lit­eral­ly wide open, and bal­lots could be clear­ly seen.”

Wisconsin: Wisconsin Assembly approves voter ID, sends bill to Senate | JSOnline

The Assembly late Wednesday approved requiring people to show photo ID at the polls, putting the measure on a fast track to becoming law. The Senate is expected to sign off on the plan Tuesday. The move comes when drivers are about to have to present more documentation to get their licenses and wait longer to get them.

The Assembly passed the bill 60-35 amid shouts from a small group of protesters in the viewing gallery. “Welcome to Wisconsin, Jim Crow!” one of them shouted. The Republican-run Assembly quickly adjourned as the protesters chanted “Shame!” and were led out of the gallery by police officers.