Today, the League of Women Voters released a report that used this summer’s recall elections as an example of what not to do in the 2012 presidential election. The group says there was confusion among voters and local election officials over what voters needed to prove identity, following the passage of a photo ID law in the state.
“It is clear that many municipal clerks will need to hire more poll workers for future elections because of the new requirements,” said Andrea Kaminski, executive director of the League of Women Voters of Wisconsin Education Network. “This is an unfortunate and unneeded expense for local governments at a time when municipal services are being cut to save tax dollars.”
The Associated Press reports that the Wisconsin Government Accountability Board was receptive to the League’s report and “additional training of poll workers and educating the public has already begun.”
In other voter ID news, college students will be allowed to use their school IDs for voting after all. Last week, the Wisconsin Legislature’s Rules Committee threatened to revise the Government Accountability Board’s policy to allow students to use their college ID cards, as long as they expire within two years. The policy was adopted to make it easier for students (and universities) to comply with the state’s new photo ID law. Now, the committee “has decided to hold off on forcing state election officials to revise their policies,” the Associated Press reports.