On February 4, 2008, I agreed with pessimistic forecast that there would be major problems with our elections this year. My blog quoted Dr. Robert A. Pastor, director of the Center for Democracy and Election Management at American University in Washington, DC:
“Voters are likely to face hassles with registration lists and voting machines. Poll workers will remain under-trained and overworked. Election management remains under the thumb of partisan officials, and voter identification is likely to remain problematic. 2008 is unlikely to be an improvement over 2006.”
You can read my entire blog here.
Seven months later, the Washington Post concurs, reporting that, “election officials across the country are bracing for long lines, equipment failures and confusion over polling procedures that could cost thousands the chance to cast a ballot.”
The tragedy is that Wisconsin does not require photo ID’s to vote. Governor Doyle and state Senate Democrats killed any chance of a photo ID requirement being in place for the critical November elections when the governor vetoed photo ID legislation three times and Senate Democrats refused to allow a vote on a photo ID constitutional amendment. A common sense photo ID requirement would not be an obstacle to voting or hamper the process. Such a law would be a great step in cleaning up an election system in disrepair.
Photo ID opponents in Wisconsin, albeit a minority, got their wish. Even so, it appears there are going to be many problems on Election Day, here and across the country.
