FREDERICA FREYBERG:
WHEN YOU HEAD TO THE POLLS ON TUESDAY, A PHOTO ID WILL BE REQUIRED TO VOTE. APRIL FIFTH WILL BE A BIG TEST OF THE LAW, WHAT WITH THE PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY AND THE STATE SUPREME COURT GENERAL ELECTION ON THE BALLOT. ARE VOTERS READY? WE CHECK IN WITH DODGE COUNTY CLERK KAREN GIBSON, WHO’S ALSO PRESIDENT OF THE WISCONSIN COUNTY CLERKS ASSOCIATION. THANKS VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE IN THIS VERY BUSY TIME.
KAREN GIBSON:
YOU’RE WELCOME. THANKS FOR HAVING ME.
FREDERICA FREYBERG:
SO HOW READY DO YOU THINK VOTERS ARE FOR THE NEW VOTER ID REQUIREMENT?
KAREN GIBSON:
WELL, I HOPE THEY ARE PREPARED TO BRING THEIR PHOTO ID WHEN THEY GO TO VOTE. THIS HAS BEEN TALKED ABOUT AND IN PLACE, I BELIEVE IT WAS RIGHT AFTER LAST YEAR’S APRIL ELECTION, WHICH WAS THE LAST STATEWIDE ELECTION THAT WE HAD BEFORE PHOTO ID. WE HAD THE FEBRUARY 2016 SPRING PRIMARY, WHERE IT WAS REQUIRED, BUT NOW WE’VE GOT A MUCH LARGER TURNOUT COMING FOR NEXT TUESDAY AND WE EXPECT EVERYBODY TO HAVE THEIR PHOTO ID.
FREDERICA FREYBERG:
WHAT ABOUT CLERKS? HOW READY DO YOU THINK THEY ARE?
KAREN GIBSON:
I THINK THAT CLERKS IN THE LAST WEEK HAVE REALIZED WE ARE GOING TO HAVE A BIG TURNOUT. I’VE GOT A LOT OF CLERKS CALLING, ASKING ME FOR MORE BALLOTS, WHICH I AM ACCOMMODATING AND GETTING THOSE BALLOTS PRINTED NOW BEFORE ELECTION DAY SO THEY DON’T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THAT ON ELECTION DAY. THEY’RE GETTING TURNOUT WITH ABSENTEE VOTERS.
FREDERICA FREYBERG:
A BIG TURNOUT THERE. LET’S GO AHEAD AND RUN THROUGH THE KINDS OF IDENTIFICATION THAT WILL BE ACCEPTED AT THE POLLS ON TUESDAY FOR VOTERS TO VOTE.
KAREN GIBSON:
OKAY.
FREDERICA FREYBERG:
FIRST WE HAVE THE WISCONSIN DRIVER’S LICENSE OR WISCONSIN ID CARD. AND A QUESTION ON THOSE. CAN THOSE BE EXPIRED?
KAREN GIBSON:
THE DRIVER’S LICENSE AND STATE ID MAY BE EXPIRED, AS LONG AS THAT EXPIRATION DATE HAPPENED ON OR AFTER NOVEMBER 4, 2014, THE LAST GENERAL ELECTION. YES. THOSE CAN BE EXPIRED. THEY ALSO DO NOT HAVE TO HAVE YOUR CORRECT ADDRESS.
FREDERICA FREYBERG:
OKAY. AND THE OTHER THING ABOUT THIS IS THAT IF YOU DON’T HAVE THAT ACTUAL PLASTIC CARD, YOU CAN USE A RECEIPT FROM HAVING GOTTEN YOUR LICENSE OR ID; IS THAT RIGHT?
KAREN GIBSON:
THAT’S CORRECT. NOW, WHEN YOU GO TO THE DMV TO GET YOUR DRIVER’S LICENSE OR STATE ID, YOU DON’T ACTUALLY GET YOUR PLASTIC ONE ON THE SPOT. YOU GET A RECEIPT. AND THAT IS ACCEPTABLE.
FREDERICA FREYBERG:
SO WHAT ARE THE OTHER FORMS OF ID, IF YOU CAN TICK THROUGH THOSE, THAT PEOPLE CAN USE?
KAREN GIBSON:
SURE. YOU CAN USE U.S. UNIFORMED SERVICE ID CARD OR A VETERANS AFFAIRS ID CARD. YOU CAN USE A U.S. PASSPORT OR THE U.S. PASSPORT CARD. YOU CAN USE A UNIVERSITY, COLLEGE OR TECHNICAL COLLEGE ID CARD AS LONG AS YOU ALSO HAVE PROOF OF ENROLLMENT. AND YOU CAN USE THE CERTIFICATE OF NATURALIZATION AND THE TRIBAL ID CARD.
FREDERICA FREYBERG:
OKAY. AND WE DIDN’T HAVE A PICTURE OF THAT CERTIFICATE OF NATURALIZATION, BUT, AGAIN, AS YOU SAY, THAT’S SOMETHING PEOPLE CAN USE. WHAT IF PEOPLE DO NOT HAVE ONE OF THESE FORMS OF ID OR THEIR LICENSE WAS EXPIRED BEFORE THE DATE IT WAS ALLOWED TO BE EXPIRED. WHAT HAPPENS THEN?
KAREN GIBSON:
THE VOTER SHOULD BE OFFERED A PROVISIONAL BALLOT BY THE ELECTION WORKERS. THAT PROVISIONAL BALLOT IS A BALLOT THAT WILL BE PUT INTO AN ENVELOPE BY THE VOTER AND HELD FIRST THAT DAY BY THE POLL WORKERS AND THEN THE POLL WORKERS THEN TURN THAT ENVELOPE WITH THE BALLOT INSIDE OVER TO THE MUNICIPAL CLERK AND THEN THAT ALLOWS VOTERS UNTIL 4:00 P.M. ON THE FRIDAY AFTER THE ELECTION TO OBTAIN AN ACCEPTABLE PHOTO ID AND GET THAT PHOTO ID TO THE CLERK, TAKE THAT TO THE MUNICIPAL CLERK AND SHOW IT TO THE CLERK BY 4:00 P.M. ON FRIDAY. AND THEN THAT BALLOT WILL BE COUNTED BY THE CLERK AND TWO OTHER PEOPLE.
FREDERICA FREYBERG:
OKAY. AS FOR REGISTERING TO VOTE, PEOPLE CAN STILL VOTE THE — OR REGISTER THE SAME DAY YOU GO TO VOTE, RIGHT?
KAREN GIBSON:
YES. WISCONSIN ALLOWS VOTER REGISTRATION AT THE POLLS. AND THAT IS DIFFERENT THAN PHOTO ID. VOTER REGISTRATION IS IF YOU HAVE A DRIVER’S LICENSE OR WISCONSIN STATE ID, YOU SHOULD TAKE THAT WITH YOU. HOWEVER, IF IT DOES NOT HAVE YOUR CURRENT ADDRESS, VOTER REGISTRATION IS REGISTRATION MEANS ADDRESS. YOU HAVE TO HAVE PROOF OF RESIDENCE AND THAT’S GOING TO BE A PAYCHECK OR A PAYCHECK STUB, A UTILITY BILL, A BANK STATEMENT, ANYTHING ISSUED BY A UNIT OF GOVERNMENT, SO A FISHING LICENSE OR A HUNTING LICENSE, SOMETHING WITH YOUR NAME AND CORRECT ADDRESS, ONE OF THOSE ACCEPTABLE PROOF OF RESIDENCE. AND THEN AGAIN YOU’RE GOING TO THEN TAKE THAT DRIVER’S LICENSE OR STATE ID IF THAT DOESN’T HAVE YOUR CORRECT ADDRESS, YOU CAN STILL USE THAT FOR PHOTO ID.
FREDERICA FREYBERG:
GREAT. VERY EXPERT ADVICE. KAREN GIBSON, THANK YOU VERY MUCH AND GOOD LUCK ON TUESDAY.
KAREN GIBSON:
THANK YOU.
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