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Voter Registration Elections Board. Legislative Audit Bureau October 2005. Voter Registration Overview. Voter registration is currently required in 172 municipalities with populations over 5,000 Another 167 smaller municipalities require voter registration by local ordinance
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Voter RegistrationElections Board Legislative Audit Bureau October 2005
Voter Registration Overview • Voter registration is currently required in 172 municipalities with populations over 5,000 • Another 167 smaller municipalities require voter registration by local ordinance • Voter registration will be required statewide January 2006
Municipalities Reviewed • Surveyed 172 municipalities required to register voters • Conducted a detailed review of 9 municipalities
Maintaining Voter Registration Lists • 85.3 percent of municipalities removed inactive voters from lists • 71.4 percent sometimes or always notified voters before removing them from lists • 54.0 percent removed the names of ineligible felons • None of the municipalities interviewed verified citizenship
Voter Registration List Inaccuracies • Lists included duplicate records, ineligible felons, and deceased individuals • 105 potential voting irregularities require further investigation, including ineligible felons who may have voted
Elections Board Recommendations • Specify procedures for appointing and training special registration deputies • Send address verification cards in a timely and consistent manner • Revise the voter registration form to notify ineligible felons that they cannot vote • Automate procedures to detect improper registrations • Provide training to municipal clerks
Options for Legislature • More stringent requirements for special registration deputies • Uniform proof-of-residence requirements for all registrants • Deadline for mailing address verification cards • Mandatory training for municipal clerks • Civil penalties for election law violations
Other Factors • Help America Vote Act • Computerized statewide voter registration system delays • Joint Legislative Council Study Committee recommendations • City of Milwaukee investigation • Future audit work
Voter RegistrationElections Board Legislative Audit Bureau October 2005