Proof of Residency Via Electronic Options

Wisconsin residents that register to vote in the upcoming election now have more ways to prove their residency in the upcoming election. Now they’re able to use electronic documents to prove they’re Wisconsin residents.

“More and more people are going to online banking and bill paying, so the ease is there,” said Jill Lau, Door County Clerk.

In order to register, voters need to prove who they are and where they live. To prove identification, voters show a driver’s license number, a Wisconsin state identification card number or the last four digits of a Social Security Number. Voters can show the following documents to prove residency:

• Wisconsin driver’s license

• Wisconsin identification card

• Official identification card or license issued by a Wisconsin governmental body

• Photo identification card issued by an employer

• Recent real estate tax bill or receipt

• Recent residential lease

• University, college or technical institute photo identification card

• Utilities bill

• Bank statement

• Paycheck

• Check or other document issued by a unit of government

Now voters don’t have to print those documents off. Instead they can bring in a laptop, smartphone or tablet and show poll workers electronic documents on those devices.

“The fact is, the document is the same whether you print it out or not,” said Andrea Kaminski, executive director of the Wisconsin League of Women Voters. “It’s where we’re headed in society and it helps people vote, so we’re in favor of it.”

Kaminski said some clerks had already been allowing people to prove residency with electronic documents before it was allowed, so now state poll workers can be more consistent with new voters.

Door County polls won’t have computers available for people registering to vote, and Lau said there wouldn’t be extra training for poll workers in the November election because of this change.

“It’s really not anything different,” Lau said.

Although electronic documents can now be used, Kaminski said proving residency still isn’t easy for everyone. Since 2011, voters can’t use a corroborating witness as proof of residency. If someone, like an 18-year-old living with her parents, doesn’t have documentation to prove residency she could be out of luck. Before 2011, a parent would have been able to vouch for her.

Kaminski said League of Women Voters volunteers found the new corroboration rule kept some people from registering to vote at the June 5 recall election.