Fiscal Note
No appropriation is required.
Title
Opposing voter identification regulations as proposed in Wisconsin Senate Bill 6 and Assembly Bill 7.
Body
WHEREAS, voting is a right and not a privilege and the foundation of our democracy; and
WHEREAS, Wisconsin has a proud tradition of free and fair access to the ballot; and
WHEREAS, Wisconsin has one of the highest voter turnouts in the country because we have few barriers to allow for Wisconsin residents to exercise their right to vote; and
WHEREAS, there is no significant incidence of voter fraud as evidenced by the findings of Wisconsin Attorney General Van Hollen's two year investigation into the 2008 election: 11 potentially improper ballots out of 2.96 million votes cast or about 0.0003%; and
WHEREAS, low-income people, people with disabilities, senior citizens, college students and communities of color will be disproportionately affected by the requirement for a Voter ID because they are less likely to have one of the forms of ID required by Senate Bill 6 and Assembly Bill 7; and
WHEREAS, the Legislative Fiscal Bureau estimates these proposed bills could cost more than $5.7 million to implement;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City of Madison Common Council vigorously opposes the voter identification regulations proposed in Wisconsin Senate Bill 6 and Assembly Bill 7.