Fiscal Note
No appropriation required.
Title
Encouraging the University of Wisconsin-Madison to ensure all student identification cards are compliant with state voter ID laws.
Body
WHEREAS, recent statutory changes to Wisconsin election law now require voters to present certain valid photo identification in order to vote; and
WHEREAS, one form of acceptable identification can be a student identification card provided by any Wisconsin accredited University or College, provided the issue date be two years or less from the expiration date, among other criteria; and
WHEREAS, UW-Superior, UW-Green Bay, Madison College and Edgewood College have already decided to alter their respective student identification cards to comply with state law, while UW-Madison has yet to do so; and
WHEREAS, out of state students, numbering over 14,000 at UW-Madison, will be unable to use their out of state drivers licenses or current UW-Madison ID to vote in the coming elections; and
WHEREAS, in 2014, 8,000 voters in student wards registered to vote at their polling place on Election Day. Roughly a third of those voters would somehow have to also get a second ID before they headed to the polls. Either way, under current circumstances, out of state students attempting to vote will be highly burdened and lines for all students will likely be both long and slow moving, which has shown to be a strong deterrent to participation; and
WHEREAS, UW-Madison Students can get an acceptable ID at Union South, but only during traditional business hours, which makes obtaining said ID tremendously burdensome for students taking a full credit load and/or maintaining a job to pay for school along with their classes;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Mayor and the Madison Common Council strongly encourage the University of Wisconsin-Madison to demonstrate its stated commitment to civic engagement, lead in a manner befitting a flagship, world class university, and empower its students to engage in the “sifting and winnowing” espoused in the Wisconsin Idea by reissuing student ID cards to comply with current voter ID laws, or by issuing stickers with all requisite information for voting purposes.
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that the City Clerk shall send a copy of this resolution to the Office of the Chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Madison.