Voters who are seeking a photo ID card but not yet received it will be able to use a Division of Motor Vehicles receipt to vote in more cases, under a new rule Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker approved Wednesday just ahead of Monday’s federal trial on the state’s voting laws. The Republican governor didn’t say in his statement whether the rule change is aimed at making the law easier to defend in court. “This action ensures an individual is still able to vote while they work to obtain documentation needed for a free voter ID card,” Walker said in a statement. The DMV is changing the process used to issue receipts to residents who are seeking a photo ID to vote but can’t produce birth certificates or other documents needed to get one in time for an election.
The Walker administration said that the measure will make it easier for people to vote if they have trouble getting the needed documentation or have errors in that documentation such as a misspelled name.
The receipts are meant to be used for voting while the DMV sorts out whether those applying for regular ID cards should get them. The ID cards are free and under the new rule the DMV will have to pay for applicants to get birth certificates or other key documents.
The receipts will be issued by mail within six days if the DMV is unable to make a determination before then on whether a regular ID card should be issued. The receipts will include the applicant’s photo and be marked “for voting purposes only.”
Full Article: Voters awaiting photo ID would receive a receipt to vote.