Should the state be doing more to help voters obtain photo ID? Jay Heck with Common Cause said several states have made mobile van programs available to provide photo ID services.
“States like Texas, Alabama, Virginia. States that have historically made it difficult for certain segments of their populations to vote. We thought if those states had done it, wouldn’t it be worthwhile for Wisconsin to do it, so people could be in compliance with this law.”
“We asked a year ago whether the Department of Transportation in Wisconsin was willing to set up, or look into setting up, such a program,” Heck said.
Heck said they finally received a response from DOT Secretary Mark Gottlieb — but it made no mention of the request. “What that really suggests to us is that Governor Walker and the administration were really never serious about trying to make sure that people really had an opportunity to be able to get access to the types of required ID that they need in order to be able to vote.”
WRN requested an interview with Gottlieb or anyone at DOT to comment on Heck’s assertions.
Patty Meyers, Director of the WisDOT Office of Public Affairs, said that that since 2011 DMV has both expanded services and increased hours at its customer service centers.
- Service hours have increased by more than 34,000 annually.
- DMV has issued 550,690 IDs since the law went into effect (7-1-11).
- Per Wisconsin Statutes, Wisconsin has at least 20 hours of DMV service in every Wisconsin county.
- We have 80 permanent locations and 11 travel team offices. 33 offices are open at least 5 days a week, and 47 are open 20 hours/week. The remaining 11 travel team offices have hours that vary from three times a month to 4 times a year.
- Eight offices have hours on Saturday (Madison – Odana, Madison East, Eau Claire, LaCrosse, Wausau, Appleton, Milwaukee NW and Milwaukee SW)
