Postcards to would-be voters are proper

It seems every move of the Wisconsin Elections Commission has come under scrutiny. The state agency that oversees elections in Wisconsin has been criticized in an audit following the 2020 election. That has led to changes in the rules governing voting, including how absentee ballots can be returned and what assistance those in nursing homes can receive to vote. The commission was criticized for offering voting guidance during the pandemic and there have been calls for the administrator to resign. So we probably shouldn’t be surprised if there is criticism of the latest Wisconsin Elections Commission effort to encourage voter participation. The agency is mailing postcards starting this week to those living in Wisconsin who are eligible, but not registered to vote. The mailings will be sent to some 180,000 residents who appear eligible to vote, with information about the registration process. Even though some will no doubt claim this is some underhanded move by the commission to benefit one party over another, these mailings are actually required by state law. It is part of the state’s partnership with the Electronic Registration Information Center, which helps states maintain and improve the accuracy of their voter databases. Although there will be critics, sending postcards to people to explain how people who haven’t voted in the past can register seems a proper role for this much-maligned agency.