Ballot Access

I had a dust-up today with a poll worker at my new polling place.  He was not going to give me a ballot because the address on my driver license did not match the voter registration address following a recent move.

I explained to him in an adult voice loud enough for the entire room to hear that a Wisconsin DOT-issued driver license is an accepted form of photo ID and DOES NOT have to be reissued to reflect a change of address.

After some discussion - and another poll worker setting him straight - I was allowed to vote.

After I arrived home I sent the City Clerk an email detailing the events.  I received the following in response:

Thanks for the feedback – I do appreciate it. We did hit on the difference at training between photo ID and proof of residence, and that the photo ID proves who you are and not where you live. Evidently we need to hit on it harder at the next training. Again, thanks for taking the time to let me know. It is concerning to know that the November election is looming , turnout will be much higher, and training points haven’t ‘sunk in’ for some people.

City Clerk

I shared this with my wife who is a supervising poll worker.   She told me they get a few complainers and it really doesn't make her day go great.  Moreover it makes her and her colleagues wonder why they bother to get up at 5 AM to do their civic duty.  She suggested that a volunteer with a whopping one hour of training beforehand might not remember everything.

I think that the takeaway from this is that I had to provide proof of residence when I registered to vote.  To cast a ballot I have to furnish an acceptable photo ID as evidence that I am who I am – ostensibly to prevent voter impersonation.

The poll worker was possibly confused, over-zealous or simply being a jerk. 

I was number 90 today.  Might there have been someone else turned away?