1 In 5 Voters Don’t Know They’ll Need ID At The Polls, Poll Finds

According to a new Marquette University Law School poll, 1 in 5 Wisconsin voters aren’t aware that they’ll need to present a photo ID to participate in next month’s election.

The poll found that young voters are least likely to know about the ID requirement. About 26 percent of 18 to 29-year-olds didn’t know they’d need to present an ID at the polls.

With the election just a few weeks away, the Government Accountability Board says it is rolling out a public information campaign to reach those voters.

“We have a public information campaign that’s ready to go, and in fact could be hitting the airwaves yet this week in some limited circumstances,” said Reid Magney, the GAB’s spokesperson. “What we’re hoping is next week the Joint Committee on Finance will approve our request to buy a statewide media campaign.”

The board is requesting about $450,000 for the campaign, which will include TV, radio and online advertisements. Magney said it will focus on the fact that many people already have the ID they’ll need to present at the polls.

Charles Franklin, director of the poll, said he found that only about 1 percent of registered voters in Wisconsin don’t have the necessary driver’s license, passport or other photo ID.

“It’s worth pointing out, though, that there are nearly 3.4 million registered voters in the state,” he added. “So if this 1.3 percent applies to all of them, that’s about 44,000 registered voters who don’t have an ID at this point.”