Government Accountability Board Backs Online Voter Registration In Wisconsin

The Government Accountability Board is calling on the state Legislature to follow the lead of 29 other states and implement an online voter registration system.

At it’s meeting Wednesday, the Board voted 5-1 to endorse online voter registration for those who have state issued driver’s licenses or ID’s as a way to save taxpayer dollars.

The Board’s legal counsel Mike Haas said studies in other states have shown considerable administrative savings. Arizona, for example, spent 83 cents per paper form and 3 cents to process an online registration.

“Certainly there would be a cost savings to taxpayers when municipal clerks are able to process voter registration in less time and with less staff than they currently do with a paper-based system,” Haas said.

But Mary Ann Hansen of the group We Are Watching Wisconsin Elections said the Legislature should hold off on adopting an online system until there’s proof it’s not susceptible to being hacked.