A federal judge ordered an investigation calling into question a possible state violation after a homeless man received voter ID misinformation at the Madison Division of Motor Vehicles.
Zack Moore, 34, recently relocated to Madison and went to the DMV Sept. 22 to obtain a voting credential. On the same day, Attorney General Brad Schimel filed court documents ensuring all who went through the state’s petition process would receive a photo ID in the mail within six days of applying, even without a birth certificate, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Moore, however, was met with confusion by three workers at the DMV, as captured in an audio recording first reported by The Nation. Accompanied by Molly McGrath, the national campaign coordinator of the voter ID advocacy group VoteRiders who captured the recording, Moore received conflicting instructions from three workers: the first denying the ability to obtain a Voter ID without a birth certificate, the second stating it was possible but could take indeterminately long, and the third saying the process would take six to eight weeks, well past election day.
Each instructor encouraged Moore to acquire a birth certificate in order to vote.
U.S. District Judge James Peterson issued an emergency ruling Friday to investigate Moore’s case.
"These reports, if true, demonstrate that the state is not in compliance with this court’s injunction order, which requires the state to 'promptly issue a credential valid as a voting ID to any person who enters the [petition process] or who has a petition pending,’'’ said Peterson in the ruling.
DMV spokeswoman Patty Mayers claimed that the agency began investigations into the incident before Peterson’s issued order.
“The report is concerning and is not consistent with DMV protocol,” Mayers said in a written statement. "DMV remains committed to working with all eligible voters to ensure they receive free identification, as required for voting.”
