WEC Newsletter
Volume IV, Issue V
March 25 , 2024
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New Photo ID Resources
New ID, New Guides
Last summer the Department of Transportation released a new set of photo IDs with enhanced security features and an updated design.
New features include:
- A transparent “ribbon” with ID information.
- A flipping effect showing secondary photo and birth year.
- Textured artwork and information.
To reflect the updates, we have updated our acceptable IDs sheets. Earlier designs are still acceptable if they are unexpired or expired after the last General Election (November 8, 2022).
DMV Resources for Voters
Extended Phone Coverage on Election Day
DMV staff will be available from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, April 2, 2024 to assist voters needing to obtain a valid ID.
- Toll-free: 844-588-1069
- Local: 608-266-1069 (press 1)
- General: 608-264-7447
- Expedited ID Application Processing
The DMV will expedite applications for IDs between March 25 and April 4 and send a paper receipt by overnight mail. This receipt will satisfy provisional voting requirements if needed. See their handout for more information.
WEC to Clerks: Use Your Pre-Election Equipment Testing to Help Build Trust
March 23 to April 1 is the window for testing machines
Hey, everyone, it’s testing time! And while the pre-election testing of voting equipment is a statutory requirement, we also want to remind our clerk colleagues about the opportunity that pre-election audits provide.
At the WEC, we encourage clerks to consider equipment testing as a great chance to build trust with the electorate in your communities. We know that misinformation and unfounded suspicion abound these days, so a public test that demonstrates the accuracy of our equipment can help combat this and build trust in our election processes.
As you know, Wisconsin statutes require public testing of voting equipment before every election, and in every community. The event is considered a public meeting, and must be noticed at least 48 hours in advance.
Beyond the statutory requirement for giving notice of the meeting, we hope clerks will find creative ways to share plans for their scheduled equipment testing with residents. Perhaps connect with your local newspaper, or local broadcasters and ask them to help share the timing of the required equipment testing.
Clerks can also promote their pre-election audit on social media and through their own community websites.
To assist in that process, the WEC has created a template for a press release to the media about your equipment testing plans. Click here to reach that template. Be sure to fill in your own specific information in any of the areas highlighted in yellow on the template.
For the April 2 Spring Election, March 23 is the first day for municipal and county clerks to conduct the public test of electronic voting equipment, per Wis. Stat. 5.84(1). The tests must be completed by April 1, the day before the election.
“What Do These Referendum Questions Mean?”
Voters should be directed to the Type C notice
Clerks and others might be receiving questions from voters asking for explanations of the two referendums on their Spring Election ballots.
Election officials should avoid characterizing these referendums in any way, as such explanations could be interpreted as persuading a voter to vote one way or another.
Should voters have questions, the best thing to do is refer them to the Type C Notice published by the WEC. This document was drafted by the Wisconsin Department of Justice to help explain these referenda questions to voters.
Explanatory Statements as to the Two Questions
1. Explanatory statement regarding Question 1:
The Wisconsin Constitution does not limit the ability of the state or local governments to receive non-governmental grants, funds, or equipment to assist in carrying out election-related responsibilities. Question 1 would add a new provision to the Constitution to prohibit the state or local governments from applying for, accepting, expending, or using such funds to assist with carrying out “any primary, election, or referendum.” The question would appear to apply to any type of non-governmental grant or funding, no matter how general in scope.
A “yes” vote on Question 1 would vote to create a new provision of the Wisconsin Constitution—Wis. Const. art. III, § 7(1). That provision would prohibit a state agency or local government from applying for, accepting, expending, or using any non-governmental moneys or equipment in connection with the conduct of any election.
A “no” vote on Question 1 would vote not to add Wis. Const. art. III, § 7(1) to the Wisconsin Constitution.
2. Explanatory statement regarding Question 2:
Wisconsin statutes define and regulate how clerks can designate individuals to serve as election officials and carry out various tasks relating to elections. The Wisconsin Constitution does not separately spell out which individuals can do that work.
Question 2 would add a new provision to the Constitution to prohibit individuals from performing tasks related to an election unless they are an “election official designated by law.” Under current statutes, clerks have the statutory power to designate individuals to carry out election-related tasks, and so such designated individuals could continue doing their work as an “election official designated by law.” But that power is only statutory, and if the statutes changed, the new constitutional provision would bar clerks from designating individuals to assist with election-related tasks.
A “yes” vote on Question 2 would vote to create a second new provision of the Wisconsin Constitution—Wis. Const. art. III, § 7(2), which would prohibit an individual from performing election-related tasks unless they are an “election official designated by law.”
A “no” vote on Question 2 would vote not to add Wis. Const. art. III, § 7(2) to the Wisconsin Constitution.
Movers mailing will be sent to voters March 29
Check WisVote News postings for more information
As part of Wisconsin's membership in ERIC (Electronic Registration Information Center), the WEC is required to contact voters who have potentially moved. Postcards are mailed quarterly to these voters.
Note that some February Primary Election voters may receive a postcard if their participation was not entered into WisVote by the time the Movers data was compiled. In those cases, the clerk can verify the voter’s participation in WisVote and update the voter’s status. The voter can also use the Confirm Your Address process in MyVote.
Additional information will be posted on WisVote News regarding poll worker instructions, how to handle returned postcards, and the Movers mailing process.
Polling Place Accessibility
Another successful round of polling place accessibility reviews was conducted by the WEC in Spring Primary!
At the Spring Primary on Feb. 20 temporary staff of the WEC visited over 60 polling places to review them for accessibility. They used the revised Polling Place Accessibility Survey that the Commission approved at their Feb. 8 meeting.
The new survey improves efficiency so each reviewer can get to more polling places while polls are open. There are two new questions. One asks how curbside voting is set up at the polling place, and the other asks whether a greeter is stationed at the entrance.
Next Election:
Polls open at 7 a.m. on April 2, 2024
Cybersecurity News
Don't get caught by digital "phishing" tactics
In today’s digital landscape, it’s crucial to remain vigilant against online threats, especially for those of us in the public sector. Phishing scams continue to target municipal employees, attempting to trick individuals into revealing private and secure information.
Phishing is when a hacker sends an email purporting to be from a reputable source, trying to get users to reveal personal information such as login passwords, credit card or banking information, or sensitive personal or business information.
Stay tuned for more cyber security tips in our upcoming newsletters.
Remember, never click on suspicious links or provide sensitive data to unsolicited emails. For more details, review the Security Awareness Training course in ElectEd.
Stay informed, stay safe, and together we can protect our online identities. Let’s navigate the internet securely and confidently.
Make Sure Voters Can Find You!
Check your staff info on MyVote
Maintaining your contact information and staff list in WisVote is crucial for ensuring that voters can contact your office and that only active election officials have access to this sensitive database. You can easily verify that your municipality's clerk contact information is correct by using MyVote. Click on the "Find My Clerk" link in the footer and enter a local address.
Also, as a matter of routine, please keep the WEC Helpdesk aware of any incoming staff members who need WisVote access, or outgoing staff members whose access should be removed, and the dates to change their access.
Please contact the WEC Helpdesk if you have any questions.
Upcoming Dates & Deadlines
Upcoming Events
- March 23, 2024 – Voting equipment public test period opens
- March 25, 2024 – Last day to plan SVD visits
- March 28, 2024 – Absentee request deadline
- March 31, 2024 – Close of In-Person Absentee Voting (IPAV)
- April 5, 2024 – Last day for provisional voters to provide missing information
- May 1, 2024 – WEC Webinar: Spring Elections Wrap-Up
Upcoming Commission Meetings
- June 10, 2024 – Ballot Access Meeting
- June 27, 2024 – Quarterly Meeting
Upcoming Elections
- April 2, 2024 – Spring Election & Presidential Preference Primary
- August 13, 2024 – Primary Election
- November 5, 2024 – General Election