Here & Now

Online Voter Registration Bill Passes State Senate

ZAC SCHULTZ:

REPUBLICANS IN THE STATE SENATE PASSED A BILL THIS WEEK THAT WILL ALLOW YOU TO REGISTER TO VOTE ONLINE. ORIGINALLY THE BILL HAD BIPARTISAN SUPPORT, BUT THAT FELT APART AFTER AN AMENDMENT ADDED TO THE BILL ELIMINATED SPECIAL REGISTRATION DEPUTIES – THOSE VOLUNTEERS LOOKING TO HELP VOTERS GET REGISTERED. THE LEAD SPONSOR OF THE BILL IS REPUBLICAN SENATOR DEVIN LEMAHIEU, WHO JOINS US NOW FROM SHEBOYGAN. THANKS FOR JOINING US.

DEVIN LEMAHIEU:

GOOD MORNING.

ZAC SCHULTZ:

DO YOU THINK THIS BILL MAKES IT EASIER FOR PEOPLE TO REGISTER TO VOTE?

DEVIN LEMAHIEU:

I DO THINK IT MAKES IT EASIER. I’D JUST LIKE TO CORRECT YOUR INTRODUCTION HERE A SECOND. ACTUALLY, THE AMENDMENT DID NOT ELIMINATE THE SPECIAL REGISTRATION DEPUTIES. THOSE WERE ELIMINATED IN THE INITIAL BILL WHICH MANY OF THE DEMOCRATS HAD SIGNED ON AS COSPONSORS.

ZAC SCHULTZ:

SO WHY WERE THEY SO CONCERNED LATER ON? DID THEY JUST KIND OUT ABOUT IT RECENTLY BECAUSE THERE WAS A LOT MORE HUBBUB OVER THIS THIS WEEK?

DEVIN LEMAHIEU:

RIGHT. IT WAS IN THE BILL ORIGINALLY. IT WAS IN THE ANALYSIS, PAGE 2 OF THE ANALYSIS. I’M NOT SURE WHAT — I THINK IT WAS THE SPECIAL INTERESTS GOT TO THEM, THAT THEY JUMPED OFF THE BILL.

ZAC SCHULTZ:

SO WHY ELIMINATE THE SPECIAL REGISTRATION DEPUTIES? THERE’S A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT SAY THAT THEY CAN STILL DO GOOD IN ADDITION TO THE ONLINE VOTING PART OF THIS.

DEVIN LEMAHIEU:

RIGHT. RIGHT. BECAUSE OF THE BILL THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO NEED FOR SPECIAL REGISTRATION DEPUTIES ANYMORE. ANYBODY CAN GO OUT AND DO VOTER DRIVES. THAT’S THE GREAT THING ABOUT HAVING ONLINE REGISTRATION. ALL YOU NEED IS A SMART PHONE OR TABLET AND YOU CAN GO OUT AND GO AROUND THE COMMUNITY AND REGISTER PEOPLE. SO THERE’S ABSOLUTELY NO NEED FOR THEM. THE FACT IS WHEN PEOPLE REGISTER ONLINE, IT SAVES MUNICIPAL CLERKS TIME AND MONEY. AND IT TAKES OUT THE HUMAN ELEMENT OF TRANSCRIBING PAPER REGISTRATION. SO WE FELT IT WAS IMPORTANT TO ELIMINATE THAT, BECAUSE EVERYBODY CAN GO OUT AND DO THEIR OWN REGISTRATION DRIVES THROUGH A SECURE CONNECTION WITH A SMART PHONE OR A TABLET.

ZAC SCHULTZ:

SO WHY ARE THESE THIRD-PARTY INTEREST GROUPS SO CONCERNED? BECAUSE A LOT OF THEM ARE NONPARTISAN, GET MORE PEOPLE TO VOTE GROUPS. WHAT’S THEIR ISSUE?

DEVIN LEMAHIEU:

YOU’D HAVE TO ASK THEM. I THINK THAT THE BILL IS COMMON SENSE, AND IT MAKES IT EASIER TO VOTE — OR TO REGISTER ONLINE AND REGISTER OVERALL. YOU ALSO NEED TO REMEMBER THAT IN WISCONSIN WE STILL HAVE SAME-DAY REGISTRATION. SO IF THERE IS AN INSTANCE WHERE SOMEONE DOESN’T HAVE A STATE ID CARD OR A VALID DRIVER’S LICENSE, THERE STILL IS THE OPPORTUNITY FOR THEM TO GO REGISTER AT THE POLLS. IF THIS BILL PASSES, WE’LL BE ONE OF SIX STATES THAT HAS ONLINE REGISTRATION AND SAME-DAY REGISTRATION.

ZAC SCHULTZ:

ONE OF THE CONCERNS DEMOCRATS RAISED THIS WEEK IS THEY THINK THIS WILL TARGET GROUPS THAT ARE LESS LIKELY TO HAVE A DRIVER’S LICENSE AND BE ABLE TO USE THE ONLINE REGISTRATION PORTION, SOME OF THE YOUNG PEOPLE, SOME MINORITIES, SOME OF THE ELDERLY. DO YOU HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT THOSE GROUPS BEING ABLE TO REGISTER?

DEVIN LEMAHIEU:

WE CREATED A POSITION IN THE BILL CALLED ELECTION REGISTRATION OFFICIALS AND THEY CAN GO OUT TO RESIDENTIAL CARE FACILITIES AND REGISTER ELDERLY TO VOTE. SO THAT TOOK CARE OF THAT. THAT WAS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HEARD DURING THE HEARING THAT WE MADE SURE THEY HAD THE ABILITY TO STILL DO THAT. ONCE AGAIN I WOULD JUST LIKE TO REMIND YOU THAT THERE STILL IS THE ABILITY TO REGISTER SAME-DAY. YOU COULD GO TO A CLERK’S OFFICE. YOU CAN STILL PRINT OUT A PAPER BALLOT. THESE GROUPS COULD GO AROUND AND DO THEIR REGISTRATIONS. IF SOMEONE DIDN’T HAVE A VALID ID, THEY COULD GIVE THEM A PAPER BALLOT. IT’S A SIMPLE, ONE-FORM THAT THEY COULD FILL OUT AND DROP OFF AT THE CLERK’S OFFICE OR MAIL INTO THEIR CLERK.

ZAC SCHULTZ:

ONE OF THE OTHER CHANGES HAS TO DO WITH ABSENTEE BALLOTS AND WHEN THEY’RE DUE BACK ON ELECTION DAY. CURRENTLY YOU HAVE UNTIL THE FRIDAY AFTER ELECTION FOR THAT BALLOT TO APPEAR AS LONG AS IT’S POSTMARKED BY ELECTION DAY. NOW IT HAS TO BE IN BY ELECTION NIGHT. WHY MOVE THAT UP?

DEVIN LEMAHIEU:

THAT WAS BROUGHT FORWARD TO US BY THE CLERK ASSOCIATION. THAT WAS THEIR NUMBER ONE ASK, TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY COULD FINISH UP THEIR ELECTIONS ON TIME. SO THAT WAS THEIR NUMBER ONE AGENDA ITEM. BOTH DEMOCRAT AND REPUBLICAN CLERKS SUPPORTED THAT MEASURE TO BE DONE. IT WAS ORIGINALLY DONE BECAUSE OUR PRIMARIES USED TO BE IN SEPTEMBER, BUT NOW THEY’RE MOVED BACK TO AUGUST TO GIVE MORE TIME FOR MILITARY ABSENTEE BALLOTS TO BE PROCESSED, SO THE CLERKS FELT AND I AGREED WITH THEM THAT THERE WAS NO NEED TO HAVE THIS PROVISION TO ACCEPT ABSENTEE BALLOTS UNTIL FRIDAY AT 5:00 P.M.

ZAC SCHULTZ:

PART OF THE TESTIMONY FROM SOME OF THOSE THIRD PARTY GROUPS HAS TO DO WITH SIMILAR LAWS IN OTHER STATES THAT HAVE BEEN CHALLENGED IN FEDERAL COURT BASED ON FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS AND RIGHTS TO ASSEMBLE FOR SOME OF THESE SPECIAL REGISTRATION DEPUTIES. ARE YOU EXPECTING A LAWSUIT? DO YOU WORRY THAT THIS MAY GET HELD UP BEFORE THE ELECTION?

DEVIN LEMAHIEU:

NO. I DON’T THINK IT WILL BE HELD UP. I THINK THIS IS — WITH REGARD TO — WE’RE IN LINE ON OTHER STATES WITH ALL THE PROVISIONS THAT WE HAVE IN THIS BILL WITH REGARDS TO ABSENTEE BALLOTS. THAT’S HOW WE USED TO DO IT IN THE STATE OF WISCONSIN PREVIOUSLY. AND WITH — YOU KNOW, THERE STILL IS THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO VOTER REGISTRATION DRIVES.

ZAC SCHULTZ:

SINCE THE LAST PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION IN 2012, THERE HAVE BEEN QUITE A FEW CHANGES IN VOTING AND HOW TO REGISTER TO VOTE, INCLUDING VOTER ID BEING NOW IN PLACE FOR PRESIDENTIAL RACE, SOME OF THE CHANGES IN VOTING EARLY HOURS, NOW THIS ONLINE REGISTRATION. HOW DO YOU THINK THAT WILL AFFECT TURNOUT THIS FALL?

DEVIN LEMAHIEU:

I THINK TURNOUT WILL BE VERY GOOD THIS FALL. WE’VE SEEN IN SOME OF THE PRIMARY STATES ALREADY THAT THEY’VE HAD SOME HIGH TURNOUT. THERE’S GREAT ENTHUSIASM OUT THERE. BOTH PARTIES SEEM TO HAVE A LOT OF INTEREST AROUND THEIR CANDIDATES. SO I THINK THERE WILL BE GREAT VOTER TURNOUT THIS FALL.

ZAC SCHULTZ:

THE ASSEMBLY IS SET TO TAKE THIS BILL UP NEXT WEEK.

DEVIN LEMAHIEU:

YES, THEY ARE. I’M VERY HAPPY THAT IT’S ON THEIR CALENDAR FOR TUESDAY, AND WE’VE BEEN WORKING WITH THE REPRESENTATIVE AUTHOR KATHY BERNIER AND THINGS SEEM TO BE GOOD TO GO IN THE ASSEMBLY. WE’RE LOOKING FORWARD TO GIVING WISCONSIN RESIDENTS THE OPPORTUNITY TO REGISTER ONLINE GOING FORWARD.

ZAC SCHULTZ:

ALL RIGHT. SENATOR, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME TODAY.

DEVIN LEMAHIEU:

THANK YOU.