Wisconsin veterans will be able to use identification issued by the U.S. Department of Veterans affairs in order to vote in the state.
That was a provision of a bill signed into law today by Governor Scott Walker, adding the veterans IDs to the list of acceptable forms of identification at the polls. The bill will also allows for online voter registration, while ending use of special registration deputies to assist people to register.
The legislation “makes it easier for Wisconsin veterans and seniors to vote and empowers our citizens to assist their communities in registering to vote,” Walker said in a statement. “The new online registration also ensures this process is more effective and brings Wisconsin elections into the 21st century. We remain focused on protecting the integrity of our state’s election process and this bill helps us accomplish that goal.”
“It’s important to note that Senate Bill 295 does not eliminate voter registration drives,” said the bill’s author, state Senator Devin LeMahieu (R-Oostburg). “Instead, it empowers everyone to go out into their communities with a smartphone or tablet and help citizens register to vote.”