By: Tiffany Crouse
Waukesha County Circuit Judge James Kieffer threw out the GOP’s lawsuit against the Government Accountability Board, the agency that oversees state campaign finances and election laws, last week. Judge Kieffer said that the GOP should have filed a complaint with the GAB. The GOP filed this lawsuit after seeing the changes to the ballot for the upcoming election November 4. Judge Kieffer did not say whether the lawsuit was valid or not.
The official complaint read: “GAB … has adopted a new ballot form for 2014 general election that is extremely likely to violate the right to vote for thousands, if not millions of Wisconsin electors.” This claim is in part because of the placement of the Republican parties position below,the Democrats on the new ballot.
The GOP believes that confusion and failure to understand the ballot will lead to an increased number of under voted ballots. These are ballots that are left blank either intentionally or, in this case, because of confusion with the ballot. The new ballots are not shaded like the old ballots were in the past.
According to the complaint filed by the GOP “… recent research into the ballot forms, and voter confusion confirms that the ballot format adopted by GAB increases the likelihood of voter confusion.”
Ballots shading and the order for the candidates is the largest difference in the ballot for this election. The ballots are not the only thing changing for this election.
This election will require voters to have identification. Voters can use: Their state driver license, state issued ID card, military ID, or a U.S. passport. These forms of identification must be unexpired or expired after November 6, 2012. You must have this ID with you in order to cast your vote in the upcoming election.
If you do not have one of the above forms of identification you can also obtain a free state ID card.
To do this you must take a birth certificate, social security card, utility bill or cell phone bill to your local DMV. Once you have done this, then you can use your receipt as an ID until your card arrives in the mail.
For further instructions on how to obtain a state voter ID go to http://bringit.wisconsin.gov. If you are casting an absentee ballot, or are voting early, you may not need to have an ID to vote. Look at the bringit. Wisconsin website for more information.