State and local election officials held a news conference on Monday in an effort to educate the public about Wisconsin’s ID Petition Process, known as ID PP.
The news conference was held in the rotunda of Milwaukee’s City Hall. In attendance were Wisconsin Election Commission Administrator Michael Haas, Milwaukee City Elections Commission Executive Director Neil Albrecht and Milwaukee County Clerk Joseph Czarnezki.
“If you were born in Milwaukee County and you need a certified birth certificate to obtain that state ID, you can go to the Milwaukee County register of Deeds in the Milwaukee County Courthouse. Tell them you need a certified birth certificate for voting purposes and you will be provided one free of charge,” Czarnezki said.
A Wisconsin federal judge, James Peterson, ordered election officials to educate and reach out to individuals without the required documentation to obtain a state ID.
There is still time for people without birth certificates to get an ID through ID PP.
"To any person who has not yet secured their photo ID to be able to vote in Tuesday’s Elections, we encourage them to go to the DMV. We remind them that even if they don't have the requirement to secure a photo ID, they can secure a receipt that will still allow them to vote," Albrecht said.
The municipal clerks office does not track how many people will not be able to vote because of their lack of ID. However, a Marquette study estimates that there is approximately 300,000 people in the state of Wisconsin who could lose their ability to vote under the voter ID law.
"Please don’t feel because you don't have transportation or you don't have all of your documents to get your ID that you won't get an ID," said Anita Johnson with Citizen Action of Wisconsin.
While groups like Citizen Action of Wisconsin were trying to strike down the Voter ID law, they are working to educate the public and praise the state’s outreach effort of handing out “palm card” to explain how to get an ID and publishing material on places like county buses.
