State officials are preparing to put all voter ID questions to rest. The Government Accountability Board is currently preparing a major statewide public information and outreach campaign. The Board’s Reid Magney says the effort, required by law, aims to eliminate confusion by walking people through the voting process. Ads will be on TV and everywhere else. “Radio, Internet, billboards, print, transit, the works.”
Magney says commercials begin airing in January. “Probably for more than 26 weeks next year … clustered around the four major elections.” Those elections are the spring primary, February 21; spring election, April 3; partisan primary, August 14; and the general election, November 6.
Most people have the IDs they need to vote, says Magney, including a Wisconsin driver’s license, state ID card, passport, some student IDs, military IDs, and tribal IDs. “So our message is that most people have the IDs or there are exceptions. And if they don’t, there are ways to get a free state ID … We’re here to help them.” Magney says GAB members try to provide information people need to vote. He says “it’s (their) mission.”
Magney says the GAB invested a significant amount of money in this educational effort … roughly $500,000. Wisconsin’s Voter ID law (AB-7) was passed in May 2011.
AUDIO: Jackie Johnson report 1:19
