Democrats introduce bill to automatically register citizens to vote amid study that found the state’s voter ID law prevented thousands from voting
By Andy Goldstein | Sep. 27, 2017Between 17,000 to 23,000 registered voters were prevented from casting a ballot in Madison and Milwaukee during the last presidential election, according to a recent study. On Tuesday, Democratic state legislators introduced a bill to enact automatic voter registration across the state to boost political participation. The study, conducted by UW-Madison Political Science Professor Kenneth Mayer, concluded that between approximately 17,000 and 23,000 registered voters in Dane and Milwaukee counties, both heavy Democratic strongholds, were prevented from casting ballots in the election due to current state law. Wisconsin’s voter ID law had been held up in court for years, but was in effect last year, when President Donald Trump won the state by about 23,000 votes. “While the total number affected in Milwaukee and Dane Counties is smaller than the margin of victory in the 2016 presidential election, that is the wrong measure,” Mayer stated in a press release.
