Voter ID mess could have been avoided or simplified, says advocate

Training DOT has been a mess

An agreement that may help some in Wisconsin get credentials with which to vote is getting a less than enthusiastic reaction from some voter advocates.  

Jay Heck with Wisconsin Common Cause is one of those who thinks the whole voter-credential-in-place-of-a-photo-ID thing is overly complicated. 

“The better option would have been to just require that, if people didn’t have a proper ID, they could have signed a sworn affidavit at the polling place,” Heck said. “Swearing that they’re already under the penalty of perjury, which is a felony.”

Would-be voters can get credentials from the DOT. Monday, a federal judge agreed to the DOT’s plans to do better at getting out information on how would-be voters without photo identification can get voter credentials.  

“I don’t have a great deal of confidence,” Heck said. “The DOT and the Walker administration are not going to any great lengths at all to try to publicize that voters, if they’re trying to get the ID, need to get a certificate.”