Dane County leaders proposed Thursday to eliminate a fee for residents who need to obtain birth certificate copies to vote.
While the Department of Transportation provides free identification for residents who need an official ID to vote, individuals need to present a birth certificate to obtain the ID.
Dane County Executive Joe Parisi supports the plan to waive the $20 fee for copies of birth certificates.
"The County's effort is critical to protecting the integrity of our elections and preserving our citizens' right to vote," Parisi said in a statement.
The proposal would parallel a similar program in Milwaukee, which does not make voters pay for birth certificate copies.
"In order to uphold a citizen's right to vote under our Constitution, it's clear that someone has to take responsibility to making that cost disappear for voters, and the county is willing to step in to do that," Dane County Board Chair Scott McDonell said in a statement.
