Reply #434: Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel: Voter ID law (from ALEC) attacks democracy [View All]

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An American with disabilities or an elderly citizen who is home bound would find it particularly difficult to get to the offices where those documents can be obtained. In Wisconsin, there is the additional obstacle of 25% of Division of Motor Vehicle offices being open only one day a month or less and fewer than half being open at least 20 hours a week.

Some Wisconsin elections officials are estimating double the wait times at the polls next year due to the new ID restrictions that will affect us all.

In a video released this summer, a young man and his mother exposed the dysfunction as the duo traveled from desk to desk at a Wisconsin DMV on a quest to get the young man's voter ID. The mother and son were thwarted and hoodwinked at every turn, with one employee even going so far as to claim that the son did not have enough "activity" on his checking account to qualify to vote. Just imagine producing your birth certificate, passport and proof of address and being informed that because you paid too often with cash rather than with your debit card that you were ineligible to receive a voter ID. Imagine.

These new barriers to voting do not affect Americans equally. A just-released documentary by Brave New Foundation reveals a strong partisan bend to the new laws. The voting restrictions proposed in 34 states this past year were based upon model legislation by the American Legislative Exchange Council, which receives funding from the right-wing Charles G. Koch Charitable Foundation, among others. Studies show that nationwide, 15% of those earning under $35,000 a year do not have government-issued photo identification, 18% of the elderly lack a current ID, 20% of voters ages 18 to 29 do not have photo ID and 25% of African-Americans lack a current photo ID and could be barred from voting under Wisconsin's new law.

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