Ripping the Division of Motor Vehicles for giving out inaccurate information, a federal judge said Wednesday he would order Gov. Scott Walker’s administration to make changes to how it treats people who seek voting credentials but was unlikely to suspend the voter ID law. “I think the training that was provided to the DMV counter service was manifestly inadequate,” U.S. District Judge James Peterson said during a daylong hearing. “The DMV has a lot of competencies, but one of them is not communicating to voters what they need to get an ID. “I don’t know why we’re here a month before the election.” Peterson was reacting, in part, to recently released audio recordings of DMV workers supplying people with inaccurate voter ID information.
He said he was likely to order the state to print “palm cards” that would clearly explain how people could get IDs if they don’t have birth certificates. He also wants the state to update material it provides to people in such situations after they apply for IDs so they know what to expect.
Peterson said he wanted the state to engage in a “public communication blitz” to inform people about the availability of IDs even if they don’t have birth certificates, Social Security cards or other identity documents.
He left open the possibility he would make other changes to how the state administers the voter ID law and scheduled a hearing for 9 a.m. Thursday to work out the particulars. “The state really needs to step up and make sure the IDs get into the hands of voters who can’t have them (under the current system),” Peterson said.
Full Article: Judge blasts state over voter ID.