Wisconsin residents could go online to register to vote, but voter registration deputies would be eliminated under a bill that passed along party lines in the Senate Tuesday night.
The online registration bill started out with sponsors from both parties, including Madison Democratic Sen. Fred Risser. However, Risser ended up voting against it.
“This is sort of a bait-and-switch bill,” he said. “The bait is that this is going to help registration. The switch is that, in fact, it doesn’t help registration. It hurts the whole concept.”
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Oostburg Republican Sen. Devin LeMahieu said online registration eliminates the need for voter registration deputies because it lets anyone conduct voter registration drives.
“All I need is my smartphone or my iPad, and I can go up to people on the street and say, ‘Would you like to register to vote? Are you registered to vote?’” LeMahieu said.
Opponents contend that some people lack the technological know-how or the state-issued ID they need to register online.
The plan heads next to the Assembly.
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