Groups Seek To Get Eligible Voters Registered As Part Of National Effort

Voter registration groups fanned out across part of the state on Tuesday as part of a national effort to get people to register to vote before the November election.

Voter turnout is expected to be lower this year than for the 2012 presidential election, but turnout organizers are trying to keep any fall-off to a minimum. At a news conference in Milwaukee, Edward Jude Junior called attention to Republican-led efforts to reduce early voting and demand a photo ID at the polls.

“Are we going to sit back and allow some politicians to interfere with our right to vote?” he asked the gathered crowd.

Jude’s group, Wisconsin Jobs Now — as well as other organizations advocating for students, low-income workers, and racial minorities — spread out across Milwaukee in search of people to sign up for voting. Some get-out-the -vote workers set up a table at a food pantry in the basement of All Saints Catholic Church. Pantry customer Portia Terrell said she’ll be registering to vote in part because she wants to see politicians help make sure wages go up.

Other people who already registered agreed to receive a mailing reminding them to vote. Reverend Ulysses Turner said he appreciates the reminder, contending changes need to be made to the current system.

“The way things are going right now, we do need to get out and vote. Our voice is very important,” he said.

Next Monday, first lady Michelle Obama will be in Milwaukee campaigning for Democratic candidate for governor Mary Burke, and part of the first lady’s message is expected to be about getting to the polls.