A mailer from the Republican Party of Wisconsin says voters can request an absentee ballot for the state’s special election in its 7th Congressional District, but most people who send in a pre-paid postcard included with the mailer are missing photo ID in compliance with state law.
Absentee ballots in Wisconsin require a copy of the voter’s photo ID, and most clerks report that the majority of postcards they’ve received in requesting absentee ballots did not include a photo ID, according to Wisconsin Public Radio.
The Wisconsin Elections Commission reported the only exceptions for those who do not have to show a photo ID include those in the military who are currently deployed, permanent overseas residents, and confidential electors who have presented a court order, letter from law enforcement or a staff member of a domestic abuse shelter, or agency assisting victims of domestic abuse to their municipal clerk.
The GOP mailer includes six-step instructions on submitting an absentee ballot, including the need for a photo ID. But, WPR reports the information about the photo ID is not on the postcard itself, leading to confusion and a number of calls into municipal clerk’s offices.
Wausau city clerk Leslie Kramer told the radio station she had received about 200 postcards within the last week, most of which did not include a photo ID. “It just created a lot of extra work,” she said.
Richard Rydecki, deputy administrator of the Wisconsin Elections Commission, said he is aware of “a lot of complaints” about the mailer not sufficiently highlighting the photo ID requirement. He also noted the commission consulted the state party about making the photo ID requirement more prominent.
Mark Jefferson, executive director for the Republican Party of Wisconsin, told the Washington Examiner the party had sent out similar mailings before in previous elections.
“They have instructions on them to send a photo ID if you haven’t requested an absentee ballot before,” he said.
Jefferson said the goal of the mailers is to increase voter participation and that city clerks should send out absentee ballot applications themselves, similar to what the city of Milwaukee has pledged to do, if there’s confusion among voters.
The 7th Congressional District is a rural district comprised in the central and northwestern part of Wisconsin. Republican state Sen. Tom Tiffany will face Democratic challenger Tricia Zunker in a special election on May 12.
The deadline for requesting an absentee ballot is Thursday, which means if voters wait until the last minute to submit their request and do not include a photo ID, there will likely not be enough time for local clerks to assist them.
Wisconsin is a closely watched state in the lead-up to the 2020 general election, serving as one of the nation’s major battleground states. How voters decide in state races will likely be noted nationally as campaigns continue to invest heavily to try and capture a party victory in November.
