SB 350

With certain limited exceptions, before being permitted to vote at any polling

place, an elector currently must provide his or her name and address. If the elector

is not registered, the elector must provide a specified form of proof of residence in

order to register. If an elector is not able to present any required proof of residence,

as an alternative, current law permits another qualified elector who resides in the

same municipality to corroborate the elector's registration information. In addition,

an elector other than a military elector or an overseas elector, as defined by federal

law, who registers by mail and who has not voted in an election in this state must

provide one of the forms of identification specified by federal law, or a copy thereof

if voting by absentee ballot, in order to be permitted to vote. Corroboration may not

be substituted for this identification requirement, but an elector who cannot provide

the required identification may cast a provisional ballot. The municipal clerk or

board of election commissioners must determine whether electors casting

provisional ballots are qualified to vote by 4 p.m. on the day after an election.

With certain limited exceptions, this bill permits any elector, at the time of

registration, to elect to be required to provide identification in order to vote in an

election. The bill also permits a registered elector to elect to be required to provide

identification in order to vote by appearing in person at the office of the municipal

clerk or board of election commissioners of the municipality where the elector

resides. The elector must sign a statement making the election and provide

identification.

Under the bill, the permissible types of identification are: 1) a valid Wisconsin

driver's license issued by the Department of Transportation (DOT); 2) a valid,

current identification card issued by a U.S. uniformed service; or 3) a valid Wisconsin

identification card issued by DOT. With certain limited exceptions, if an elector

decides to be subject to an identification requirement, the bill requires the elector to

enclose a copy of his or her identification when voting an absentee ballot by mail.

Under the bill, if an elector who votes at a polling place has elected to be subject to

the identification requirement and fails to provide identification, the elector may

vote provisionally. If an elector who votes by absentee ballot has elected to be subject

to the identification requirement and fails to enclose a copy of the identification with

his or her ballot, the ballot is treated as a provisional ballot. A provisional ballot is

marked by the poll workers, who immediately contact the municipal clerk or board

of election commissioners. The elector may then provide the required identification

either at the polling place before the closing hour or at the office of the clerk or board.

If the elector does not provide the required identification to the clerk or board by 4

p.m. on the day following the election, the person's vote is not counted.

The bill provides that an elector who elects to be subject to an identification

requirement may revoke the election by appearing at the office of the municipal clerk

or board of election commissioners of the municipality where he or she resides and