Changes to voting procedures may slow Election Day down

Voters who want to cast ballots in Wisconsin must show a photo ID, beginning with the primary election Feb. 21.

That in itself is enough to cause some confusion at the polls, but it's only one of many new policies and procedures voters will encounter in 2012 due to changes in state election laws.

"You can register to vote until the Friday before the election or at the polls on Election Day, but the clerk's office will be closed the Saturday, Sunday and Monday before the election," City Clerk Carla Ledesma said.

That may not prove too difficult for the spring elections, when turnout is typically lower. However, there's a presidential election coming in November. In past years, the clerk's office opened the Saturday prior to presidential elections, but laws now prohibit that, she said.

Similarly, a specific timeframe - two weeks prior to the Friday before an election - was set for obtaining an absentee ballot. In the past, people would call asking if absentee ballots had arrived in the city, and, if so, requests would immediately start to trickle in. For the primary, the clerk's office can start mailing out absentee ballots Jan. 31 and in-person absentee voting starts Feb. 6. Voters are allowed to submit one request for absentee ballots for all the year's elections.

Pressed for time

With so many new requirements to follow, municipal clerks statewide have been lobbying Wisconsin lawmakers to give them some time to process all the forms and prepare for election activities, Ledesma said. More than 600 people - similar to the size of an entire small voting ward - came to the clerk's office for an absentee ballot the day prior to the 2008 presidential election.

"It will make for a much busier two weeks, as in-person absentee voting will be compressed into a shorter window," she said. "The new deadline should be very helpful, though, to the extent that we can finish the last-minute election preparations without the added responsibility of servicing electors at the counter and performing data entry at the same time."

Come prepared

Arriving at the polls, people should have a photo ID ready to show. Some acceptable forms of ID are a Wisconsin driver's license, a photo ID card issued by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, a passport or a military ID card. People who are eligible but don't have an ID may obtain a free one.

Photo IDs also will be required to obtain an absentee ballot, either by showing one at the clerk's office or including a copy of one along with a mail or email request.

As another verification of legitimacy, voters will now be required to sign the poll book to obtain a ballot.

Voters should expect to spend a little extra time at the polls, especially in February, as poll workers oversee the new procedures for the first time, Ledesma said.

Know the changes

Here are some of the other significant changes:

Voters must reside at their current address for 28 consecutive days to be eligible to vote in that district.

Voters can no longer use a corroborating witness as proof of residency. Some examples of proof of residency include a driver's license, bank statement, paycheck stub, a check issued by government agency or a utility bill received in the last 90 days.

Proof of residency is required when one registers less than 20 days before an election and on Election Day, as well as for first-time Wisconsin voters registering by mail.

Hospitalized voters can appoint a person to pick up their ballots from the city clerk's office, but the appointee must present the hospitalized voter's photo ID.

Voters who can't provide a photo ID may vote by provisional ballot, which won't be counted unless the voter provides an acceptable photo ID to the clerk by 4 p.m. the Friday after the election.

Hoping people vote

Ledesma explained some of the changes at the Hart Park Senior Center on Monday. Some people fear some people will stay home on Election Day because the new rules will be seen as too much of a hassle.

"If it's too difficult, people will just sit it out," said Merry Noel Johnson, center director.

Judi Parmeter, chairwoman of the city's Senior Commission, agreed.

"This new law may disenfranchise many people, not just seniors but those that move, students, transients. This affects everyone," Parmeter said.

Information about the changes was included with the water and property tax bills, but Parmeter worries about reaching renters, so the seniors have reached out to Tosa Interfaith, provided a list to churches and recommended posting information in public places like the library to make more people aware.

AT A GLANCE

For more information on voting laws or obtaining a photo ID: The state Government Accountability Board, http://gab.wi.gov or 1-866-VOTE-WIS.

For questions about absentee ballots or registering to vote, contact the City Clerk's Office in City Hall,7725 W. North Ave., at tclerk@wauwatosa.net or (414) 479-8917.