Dane County Clerks Anticipate Shorter Lines At Polls With Suspension Of Voter ID

Dane County’s election clerk predicts lines at polling places will be shorter now that the U.S. Supreme Court has blocked enforcement of voter ID requirements.

Dane County Clerk Scott McDonnell said he expects the court fight will continue.

“They did not decide voter id is unconstitutional so we are obviously prepared for this in future,” said McDonnell.

McDonnell also said that the on-again, off-again status of the law in Wisconsin may have confused voters.

“There’s going to have to be some outreach to folks that the voter ID law has been suspended — that if you don’t have the, ID you can still come in and vote and register,” said McDonnell.

That means the city of Madison will need fewer poll workers to check documents, according to City Clerk Maribeth Witzel-Behl.

“Overnight, we went from having 700 vacant shifts for working at the polls to 125 vacant shifts,” she said.

Wisconsin’s voter ID law is being challenged by the American Civil Liberties Union and Advancement Project. The groups contend it makes it harder for some voters who lack proper ID, like seniors, students and minorities.

Republicans passed the law three years ago. It was briefly in effect for a low turnout primary in 2012 but has not been used since.