DMV must track down voters

Madison — The state Department of Motor Vehicles must try to track down about 50 people who had their voting credentials returned as undeliverable, according to a federal judge’s order this week.

As part of litigation over Wisconsin’s voter ID law, the DMV sent voting credentials to people who had difficulty getting IDs because they lack birth certificates or have other challenges to proving their identity. But some credentials were returned as undeliverable.

On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge James Peterson ordered the DMV to try to find those people.

“The DMV must attempt to contact family members or associates of the petitioner using whatever contact information is available,” he wrote. “Heroic measures are not required, but the DMV must at least attempt to contact the family or friends of those petitioners who are entitled to a voting credential but have not received them.”

Some of those who have the most trouble getting IDs are homeless or move frequently.

Q&A: All you need to know about voting

Kristina Boardman, the head of the DMV, said Thursday the agency is trying to find 48 people whose voting credentials have been returned to the state.

"We have called, emailed, contacted family members that we are aware of, and will continue researching to find additional ways to connect," Boardman said by email.

Peterson, who was appointed to the bench by President Barack Obama, in July struck down limits on early voting and ruled the state had to reform the process it uses to make sure people who have the most trouble getting IDs can vote.

The lawsuit was brought last year by two liberal groups, One Wisconsin Institute and Citizen Action of Wisconsin Education Fund.

Peterson has put further requirements on the state in recent weeks, after the group VoteRiders produced audio recordings of DMV workers around the state providing inaccurate or incomplete information about the ability of people to get IDs.

Wednesday’s order was Peterson’s second one this week. On Monday, he ordered the DMV to give its workers more training and conduct “secret shopper”-style audits, in which undercover employees ask clerks about the voter ID law to make sure they are telling customers correct information.

He also ordered the state to distribute fliers about how people could get voting credentials even if they don’t have birth certificates or other documents needed to get IDs.

But Peterson declined to go along with a request from the groups suing the state to spend more money on advertising about the voter ID law and arrange for mobile DMV stations, saying such efforts would unlikely provide any benefit with the election so close.