A federal judge on Friday ordered the state to investigate an incident in which a voter received incorrect information on getting an ID from three Division of Motor Vehicle workers, saying the state may have violated an order he issued in July. U.S. District Judge James Peterson issued Friday’s ruling a day after the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and The Nation published articles about what happened to Zack Moore, who was told he couldn’t get an ID or temporary voting credentials because he did not have a birth certificate. “These reports, if true, demonstrate that the state is not in compliance with this court’s injunction order, which requires the state to ‘promptly issue a credential valid as a voting ID to any person who enters the IDPP or who has a petition pending,’ ” he wrote, referring to the ID petition process the state uses for those who have the most trouble getting IDs. Moore tried to get an ID on Sept. 22, the same day Attorney General Brad Schimel filed court documents claiming DMV staff were trained to ensure people would get IDs or temporary voting credentials within six days, even if they didn’t have a birth certificate.
Three DMV employees provided Moore incorrect information, with one saying, “You don’t get anything right away,” and another saying how IDs are handled is “up in the air right now.”
The recording was made by Molly McGrath, the national campaign coordinator with VoteRiders, a group opposed to voter ID laws that also helps people get IDs.
In an interview, Gov. Scott Walker said his administration is reviewing the ID process and employee training to make sure state workers are handling it properly. But the Republican governor also questioned Friday whether VoteRiders had released the full recording from its visit to the DMV. Walker said that there might be important context not included in what was released.
Full Article: Judge orders DMV to investigate voter ID incident.