Fiscal Note
No appropriation is necessary.
Title
Declaring the month of March as Get Your Voter ID Month.
Body
WHEREAS, the right to vote is the foundation of our democracy; and
WHEREAS, the State of Wisconsin now requires voters to show identification before exercising their right to vote; and
WHEREAS, Wisconsin’s voter ID law is one of the most restrictive in the nation; and
WHEREAS, ninety-eight Madison residents who intended to vote in the 2016 Spring Primary did not have an acceptable form of voter ID at the polls; and
WHEREAS, turnout for the Spring Election is expected to be much higher than the turnout for the Spring Primary; and
WHEREAS, a study conducted by the University of Houston Hobby Center for Public Policy and Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy found that confusion about voter ID discourages eligible voters from going to the polls; and
WHEREAS, the Madison City Clerk’s Office has partnered with the Dane County Voter ID Coalition to minimize confusion by conducting voter outreach throughout the City of Madison; and
WHEREAS, the League of Women Voters of Dane County and VoteRiders have been working tirelessly to help eligible voters obtain an acceptable form of voter ID;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Mayor of the City of Madison and the Common Council hereby proclaim the month of March as Get Your Voter ID Month in the City of Madison; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that City of Madison residents are encouraged to help their neighbors, friends, and family members obtain an acceptable form of voter ID before the April 5 Spring Election.