Walker says ending same-day registration too costly

[Ellipsis]

Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentine

"There is no way I'm signing a bill that costs that kind of money," Walker told reporters.

Walker cited the board's report that concluded it would cost $5.2 million, and would do nothing to end the administrative work of clerks around the state.

Walker said that, in light of the GAB report, he didn't think members of the Legislature would even try to approve a bill to end the same-day registration law.

Walker had said in November in a speech in California that he was considering backing efforts to end same-day registration, which has been credited with giving Wisconsin one of the highest voter turnout percentages in the country.



Read more: http://www.jsonline.com/news/wisconsin/walker-says-ending-sameday-registration-too-early-i780lu5-183182971.html

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[trumad]

1. Funny how he changed his tune after they found out his son

registered on election day.

[LiberalFighter]

2. Executive Summary from the report

(Since this is a government report I believe the 5 paragraph copyright requirement does not apply.)

The report in the article found here --> Preliminary Report on the Impacts and Costs of Eliminating Election Day Registration

Permitting individuals to register to vote on Election Day, or to update their address or name as shown on their voter registration, has been a key feature of Wisconsin elections since 1976. If Election Day Registration (EDR) were to be eliminated, Wisconsin would immediately become subject to federal laws, including the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (NVRA) and the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA). NVRA requires that voter registration take place at the Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) as well as at agencies that provide federal or state public assistance or administer programs that primarily assist persons with disabilities.

This Report analyzes the anticipated impacts on the administration of Wisconsin elections and the procedures of several State agencies, if Wisconsin Statutes were amended to eliminate the opportunity for EDR. This Report also provides preliminary estimated costs related to additional responsibilities of the Government Accountability Board which would result from the elimination of EDR.

Highlights of this Report include:

During major statewide elections, 10 – 15 percent of Wisconsin electors register to vote or update their voter registration on Election Day. Those registrants are required to present a driver license or other valid document establishing proof of their current residence.

If EDR is eliminated, federal law would require Wisconsin to establish a system for offering voter registration services at the DMV and at agencies which provide public assistance or administer programs that assist persons with disabilities. Employees of those partner agencies would need to transmit voter registration applications and other voter data to the appropriate election officials.

If EDR is eliminated, federal law would require poll workers to continue to allow voters who have moved within their jurisdiction to update their voter registration on Election Day and to cast a ballot. Poll workers would also be required to issue provisional ballots to individuals who do not appear on the poll list as qualified electors but who declare that they are registered voters, and possibly to individuals who have moved outside of their previous voting jurisdiction. Procedures for election officials to issue, process, and canvass provisional ballots are more complex and time-consuming than are those for regular ballots.

If EDR is eliminated, the processes for maintaining the accuracy and currency of poll lists also would become more complex and costly. The names of voters who have moved and who have not voted in recent elections will remain on poll lists much longer than required under current Statutes. If EDR is eliminated, substantial technological changes would be required to the Statewide Voter Registration System as well as to facilitate the transfer of voter registration applications and other information from partner agencies to election officials.

If EDR is eliminated, additional Government Accountability Board staff positions would be required to administer provisions of federal laws, coordinate voter registration activities with other State agencies, develop and implement IT solutions, provide training to local election officials and partner agencies, compile registration data and satisfy federal reporting requirements, and implement a public information and outreach program to educate the public about significant changes to voter registration procedures and provisional ballot rules.

Preliminary cost estimates to implement the elimination of EDR and to administer the resulting federal law requirements would depend upon the specific provisions of any enabling legislation, which would need to include several key policy determinations. The G.A.B. staff has calculated preliminary cost estimates for its agency only over an initial two-year period to be $5,193,796, as summarized in the table below.

*Cost estimates for other State agencies will be provided in a final report.

Major Cost Areas Cost Voter List Maintenance $1,936,445
Information Technology $1,231,371
Training and G.A.B. Staffing $802,980
Public Education and Outreach Campaign $1,223,000

TOTAL G.A.B. PRELIMINARY COST* $5,193,796

[dragonlady]

8. Other costs besides these

I have read that it would also cost the DMV about $750,000 (I believe that is per year) to administer the voter registrations required by the Motor Voter law in the absence of same-day registration. Also, who could calculate the added expenses to each city, village and town for the increase in voter registration at their offices and the paperwork for provisional votes?

Since Walker is a snake, look for him to support a new and improved voter ID law instead, with no additional money for the DMV to process new state IDs and the rest of the expense foisted onto the voters (for birth certificates, etc.) and the taxpayers (for defense in the new legal challenges that will undoubtedly be brought).

[LiberalFighter]

9. What needs to happen to block any attempts that you mention

this report needs to be publicized all over Wisconsin. Two key points are the initial cost to implement and then the recurring costs annually to maintain the farce.

Personally, I would like to see Wisconsin centralize their election offices a bit. IMO having each municipality running their elections would be better performed at the county level. Mainly the conduct of the election on election day itself. Providing for voter registration at the different locations and on election day should still be maintained.

Another point to highlight is that the costs of implementing a federally required registration program involving other agencies need to be included in any cost analysis in future budgets. Those budgets may hide the true costs by placing them in the DMV or other agencies required to help administer vr. If they did that it would hide the real cost of administering an election and encourage the elimination of early voter registration.

[reteachinwi]

3. Remodelling

Tonette's kitchen is not too costly? Dance, Scooter, dance.

[Ellipsis]

4. $478000 worth of remodeled kitchen....ya gotta love it

that 100 times more then they paid for the whole mansion back in 49.

[W T F]

5. He's a Republican, just Michigan Gov Rick Snyder.......What makes you think

He's not lying?

[Ellipsis]

10. He's posturing for re-election.

...which he will lose.

[LaPera]

6. Who's this slimy republican Walker kidding, if it saved WI 100 million dollars

he would NOT be for same day voting....

Republicans don't want to make it easier for democratic working people to vote - the only way republicans can capture elections....and the republican tactics are going to get a lot worst with each election....

Because the Republicans elitist, racist, misogynist, homophobic platform will only get worst and unacceptable alienating more & more voters - so the republicans will have to steal more votes and purging more democratic voters in order to steal elections for their primitive regressive narrow-mined ideology & agenda.

[democrattotheend]

7. Excellent news!

I thought same-day registration was toast in WI. Very glad Walker recognized that he had no case once this report came out. Or maybe his son got through to him. Who knows? Either way, one less assault on democracy to worry about for now.

[mokawanis]

11. Maybe he means it...maybe not

I don't trust anything the weasel says. The guy is morally bankrupt and will say anything he thinks sheeple will believe. I can just see him changing his mind and using the repuke majority here in WI to push legislation through at some point.