For Release: Thursday - October 2, 2014
Wisconsin Voter Photo ID
What College & University Students Need to Know
The reinstatement of Wisconsin’s Voter Photo ID law on September 12th – just 52 days before the November 4th general election – has put the ability to cast a ballot at risk for many college and university students across the state.
A Wisconsin college student ID is valid at the polls as long as it: hasn't expired; has the student’s name, photo and signature; includes issuing and expiration dates; and the ID does not expire more than two years after the date it was issued.
The problem is, student IDs issued prior to and at the beginning of the semester by 13 out of the 14 University of Wisconsin System schools (including UW-Madison) do not meet all of these criteria.
While schools are scrambling to address the situation, with new IDs starting to be made available to those who request them, students
still have to be made aware of the changes to the law AND they have to take the initiative to get an ID.
The
Wisconsin Government Accountability Board, universities, campus groups, CC/WI and other advocacy organizations are doing what we can, in the little time we have, to amplify the message that an acceptable voter photo ID is needed (and needed now!) and that
students must take action.
To further help raise awareness, we have created a simple, downloadable fact sheet for students, a quick reference guide on what students need to know before they head to the polls on Election Day.
Last week, we sent out a link to a printable flyer providing the basic information all Wisconsinites need to know to ensure they have the proper Voter ID with which to cast a ballot.
Please share both of these flyers widely.
Voting is a right that none of us can afford to lose.
Make sure you have the proper ID – and do whatever you can to raise awareness and help others get the ID they need in order to vote on November 4th.
And if you'd like to do more to help ensure no eligible voter is denied the right to cast a ballot, then volunteer to be an election observer. The League of Women Voters of Wisconsin provides online training, a reporting form, a polling place assignment and numbers to call on Election Day if you have a question or need to report a problem.
It's a simple way to make a huge difference.
Contact:
Sandra Miller
Director of Information Services & Outreach
608/256-2686
608/658-2109
smiller@commoncause.org
Common Cause in Wisconsin
152 W. Johnson St., Suite 212
Madison, WI 53703
Want Good Government?
Join Common Cause in Wisconsin!
www.CommonCauseWisconsin.org
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For Release: Tuesday - September 30, 2014
60 State Legislative and Statewide Candidates Pledge Support
for Non-Partisan Redistricting Reform
As of the end of September,
60 candidates on the November 4th ballot for state legislative or statewide office have pledged support for non-partisan redistricting reform based on the "Iowa Plan" to be in effect for Wisconsin's next redistricting process in 2021. These are candidates who have pro-actively contacted CC/WI.
Are the candidates you support for the Wisconsin Assembly, State Senate or for statewide office (Governor, Lt. Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of State, Treasurer) on this list? If not, you should contact them and urge them to add their name to the list. And if they refuse to do so you should ask them why? And let us know!
An unprecedented 19 daily newspaper editorial boards support this common sense, non-partisan political reform. So does the overwhelming majority of Wisconsinites. Voters ought to select their elected representatives, not the other way around – as is currently the case in Wisconsin. Only about ten percent of the 99 Assembly Districts and 17 State Senate Districts are even remotely competitive this year. And not a single congressional district of Wisconsin's eight is considered truly competitive at least "on paper" in 2014. That's just pathetic.
You can do your part to end partisan gerrymandering in Wisconsin by contacting candidates running in your area for the Assembly and State Senate (and all statewide candidates) and urging them to support non-partisan redistricting reform (the Iowa Plan). Then tell them to contact us.
Candidates or their authorized campaign proxies can contact CC/WI by phone: 608/256-2686 (leave a message if no answer) or by email. But they better hurry. Only five weeks to go until Election Day.
CONTACT:
Jay Heck
608/256-2686 (office)
608/512-9363 (cell)
Common Cause in Wisconsin
152 W. Johnson St., Suite 212
Madison, WI 53703
608/256-2686
Want Good Government?
Join Common Cause in Wisconsin!
www.CommonCauseWisconsin.org
Read More...
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For Release: Wednesday - September 24, 2014
Contact: Jay Heck
Common Cause in Wisconsin
608/256-2686
Contact: Andrea Kaminski
League of Women Voters of Wisconsin
608/256-0827
Common Cause in Wisconsin and the League of Women Voters of Wisconsin
Call on Wisconsin Attorney General to Investigate
“Wisconsin Poll Watchers Militia”
(MADISON) – The leaders of two state government watchdog groups sent a letter to Wisconsin Attorney
JB Van Hollen today, calling on him to investigate felony violations of Wisconsin election law that appear to have been committed by the Wisconsin Poll Watchers Militia, a self-described militia group who announced they plan to “confront” voters at the polls who signed a petition to recall Governor
Scott Walker in 2012 and who may have outstanding violations of the law on their records. The plans of the militia were revealed on their website and in a
recent news account about their proposed Election Day intimidation activities.
Andrea Kaminski of the League of Women Voters of Wisconsin and
Jay Heck of Common Cause in Wisconsin call upon Van Hollen to work with District Attorneys in the counties where the intimidation activities are planned (Milwaukee, Racine and Rock) as well as the two U.S. Attorneys for Wisconsin to determine if criminal charges should be filed.
The letter to Attorney General Van Hollen is here.
CONTACT:
Jay Heck
608/256-2686 (office)
608/512-9363 (cell)
Common Cause in Wisconsin
152 W. Johnson St., Suite 212
Madison, WI 53703
608/256-2686
Want Good Government?
Join Common Cause in Wisconsin!
www.CommonCauseWisconsin.org
Read More...
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