MADISON (WKOW) -- Dane County wants to make it easier for people to get free voter IDs.
County Executive Joe Parisi and County Board Chair Scott McDonell proposed waiving the fee for birth certificates for people who need them to get a valid photo ID.
Under the state's voter ID law, Department of Transportation identification is available free of charge to individuals who need an official ID to vote. But an individual needs to show a valid birth certificate to obtain that ID.
"The United States Constitution clearly protects every citizen's right to vote without spending any money," said McDonell. "But to get an ID, you need a $20 birth certificate. Under the state law, that fee amounts to a poll tax for some of our citizens. In order to uphold a citizen's right to vote under our Constitution, it's clear that someone has to take responsibility to making that cost disappear for voters, and the County is willing to step in to do that."
The plan needs to be approved by the county board and then Parisi before it's enacted.
The state's new voter ID law will be in effect for the primary election on Tuesday, February 21.
