Democratic Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle waited until moments before 5 pm Friday April 29, 2005 and then vetoed the Wisconsin Voter ID bill in its entirety. The timing is an old school political trick when a politician wants to avoid the limelight. Wisconsin Governors have line item veto power, but there was nothing in this bill he considered worth enacting. Being politicians, both sides exchanged press releases with the Republicans planning an override of the veto and the Democrats letting third party groups defend the Governor.
The following excerpts illustrate the differences in thinking between the two parties. Republicans make a case that the problem with recent elections is one of accuracy. An election is a measurement and accuracy is the most important aspect of any measurement. The Democrats have no problem with the accuracy of recent elections, so in their thinking any problems are administrative. Elections are data collection processes and in the Democrat perspective, all the problems are simply matters of inefficiency in the operation.
Rep. Leibham outlines the problems: “It is disheartening that the number of illegitimate votes cast is equivalent to the population of many Wisconsin cities and our Governor is doing nothing to rectify the problem,” said Graber. “Voter ID is a simple measure that could help ensure accuracy at the polls and restore faith in our election system.”
Wisconsin Voting Rights Coalition: “The problems that plague our voting system are over-worked and undertrained poll workers, who often face a crush of last-minute voters that overwhelm the system. As proposed by the Governor, the solution to these problems begins with having mandatory training and promoting early voting.”
Gov. Doyle Vetoes Voter ID Bill: "While requiring a Voter ID bill might seem like a good idea at first, it will do nothing to correct the management and process problems that have been identified in our elections,"
PDF File of the Veto Text. “AB 63 does not prevent felons from voting. It does not prevent individuals from voting twice or ensure that the address appearing on a photo ID card is in fact accurate and up to date. AB 63 does not make the lines at polling places any shorter or make them move any faster. And it does not make the job of poll workers any easier.”
Wisconsin Republican Party Chairman Response: “We hope the state legislature will attempt to override his veto and give voters the security they deserve in knowing their vote will not be canceled out by those who abuse the system.”
In an ideal world the process is both accurate and efficient, but accuracy always needs to be the first priority.
