For Wisconsin residents who like registering to vote on Election Day, Gov. Scott Walker (R) has other ideas.
During a Friday speech at the Ronald Reagan Library in Simi Valley, California, Walker spoke out about same-day voter registration, noting that it would be "much better" if the process was done in advance. He cited the strain on clerks as a primary reason.
"States across the country that have same-day registration have real problems because the vast majority of their states have poll workers who are wonderful volunteers, who work 13 hour days and who in most cases are retirees," Walker said, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "It's difficult for them to handle the volume of people who come at the last minute."
Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chair Mike Tate responded to Walker's idea, chalking it off as "the next phase" of his "dangerous legislative agenda."
"Despite our state’s history of expanding voting rights and running clean and open elections, Scott Walker and his Republican Party have attempted to erect unnecessary road blocks that impede voter access – especially for students, seniors and minorities – at every turn," Tate said in a statement. "That's because Republicans learned a long time ago that when more people vote, Democrats win. They've erected barrier after barrier to keep people from participating, and this is just the next step in the process."
Back in May 2011, Walker signed a bill that required Wisconsin voters to show photo identification at the polls. Judges stepped in front of that legislation, blocking the initiative from taking effect during 2012 elections.
Wisconsin early voting was also cut short by state Republicans. According to the Journal Sentinel, previous years saw the advance period start almost a month prior to Election Day, and end the day before regular voting began. In 2012, that timeframe was narrowed to two weeks, and ended the Friday before.
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