Voter ID- better, but still nowhere close to where it should be.

There were some election laws passed in 2002, called the "Help America Vote Act". Even though these laws are very liberal and easy to conform to, for some reason the Wisconsin Election Board has been having alot of trouble conforming to these laws.

The law that seems to stump our state elections board is the one that says a voter must ID themselves before they can vote. Our state elections board has done everything they can over the last four years to skirt around this law.

It finally took some pressure from Congressman Mark Green and Congressman Jim Sensenbrenner to force the state elections board into actually following the law of the land.

Here is the AP story-

MADISON, Wis. (AP) -- Voters without a driver's license will be able to cast a ballot on Election Day under a state rule that received federal approval.

The U.S. Department of Justice gave its OK in a letter dated Thursday to the rule that the state Elections Board passed last month.

It allows voters without a driver's license to cast a provisional ballot that would only count if the voters can produce their license by 4 p.m. the following day. To cast a provisional ballot they would have to give the last four digits of their Social Security number or present a state identification card.

People who wanted to register to vote at the polls would have to have their driver's license.

The board reached the approach as a compromise after an earlier rule drew criticism from U.S. Reps. Mark Green, R-Green Bay, and Jim Sensenbrenner, R-Menomonee Falls, and the state Republican Party, which said it would violate 2002's federal Help America Vote Act.

Green issued a statement Friday saying the rule has the potential to complicate the election process but it's better than the previous version. He called the compromise a "step in the right direction."

Officials with the state Elections Board could not be reached for comment late Friday.

The new rule will be in effect for the Sept. 12 primary.

Republicans who control the state Legislature have been pushing for voters to present photo identification at the polls, saying the move would prevent voter fraud.

But Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle has vetoed their attempts three times, saying an ID requirement would keep poor people and the elderly who lack identification from the polls.

Green is running against Doyle for governor.

To all Wisconsin voters, bring ID to the polling stations, your gonna need it!