Eau Claire (WQOW) - The
spring primary later this month will be the first test of the state's new voter ID law.
Changes
are coming to the polls, and local governments and universities, like UW-Eau Claire,
are getting ready.
"We have new student ID's on campus
that we sell for two dollars that will allow students to prove their address in
conjunction with a form they have to print off on our website called the voter
verification form," says Corydon Fish, with the UW-Eau Claire Student Senate.
These
student ID's are needed for anyone who doesn't have a Wisconsin license but has
established residency here. The university's student senate is hoping to
educate all students about the changes.
"We're going to be holding informational sessions for students to
come and ask any questions they have about the new law," Fish says.
The
first test of the state's law for the Chippewa Valley just two and a half weeks
from now.
"Luckily we do have a primary for school board here in Eau Claire
on February 21st, so we're hoping that we can use that as a test run to get
students informed, and if they go to the poll and don't have the proper
identification, then they can go back
and get it and hopefully have it before the April 6th elections," says
Fish.
City
of Eau Claire staff are preparing for changes too.
"The other new thing that voters will see is that they'll be
required now to sign the pollbooks before they get their ballot, so they'll
need to state their name and address, show their ID, and sign the pollbook,"
says Eau
Claire City Clerk Donna Austad.
The
city is calling for patience at the polls.
"Voters need to realize that it's
going to be a little bit longer process because the workers, when they come up
to the poll booth, they will be looking at their ID, comparing the name to the
name in the pollbook, and comparing the picture to the voter presenting it," Austad says.
UW-Stout is also offering the voter id cards to those
who want them at no cost. CVTC has
changed all of its student id's to comply with the new law.
