Wisconsin voter ID rule changes frustrating La Crosse county clerk

Poll workers must get more training on what’s accepted

More information about how exceptions to Wisconsin’s voter ID law will work for the November elections.  

A federal court ruled that affidavits are an acceptable substitution for photo identification at the polls.

On the affidavit, apparently, will be reasons you can select for why you can’t get an ID:

• Lack of transportation, 
• Lack of a birth certificate or other documents needed to obtain a photo ID
• Work schedule
• Disability or illness
• Family responsibility
• Other (must be identified) 

La Crosse County clerk Ginny Dankmeyer, agreed, this could apply to anybody.

Dankmeyer is among those frustrated that the voter ID rules.

“We’ve kind of gotten to the point where the photo ID is here, we’ve done training on it, we’ve changed our forms,” Dankmeyer said. “Poll workers have all now realized what’s acceptable and what’s unacceptable, and now, before one of the biggest elections we’ve ever had, we kind of throw a wrench into it.

“Not only are we worried about making sure our poll workers and clerks are all prepared with their polling locations and everything flows smoothly, now we’re going to throw something new at the poll workers. Again.”

So many changes, in fact, that they might need new recruits.

“They’ve had so many law changes thrown at them, that I don’t blame poll workers that are backing out,” Dankmeyer said. “Things change with every election and now we have the biggest election and we’re going to throw something else in there.”

The affidavit rules takes effect for the November election.