Report: Early voting lacking support Ryan J. Foley - Associated Press 8.13.2009

MADISON - Proposals to allow early voting in Wisconsin elections are running into opposition from members of the public and local officials concerned about the cost and potential for fraud, according to a report discussed Monday. The Government Accountability Board has been considering whether to switch to early voting instead of the state's current system of no-excuse absentee voting, which caused long lines and headaches for municipal clerks during last year's presidential election. The current system allows anyone to apply for and cast an absentee ballot, which can't be counted until polls close on the day of the election. But voters had to wait for hours in some cases because the law limits municipalities to one absentee voting location. Clerks were overwhelmed with paperwork as voters applied for and then returned to cast ballots. Early voting would allow voters to cast ballots up to 20 days before an election directly into machines that would count them immediately. Supporters say it would involve less administrative work and shorter lines because of multiple voting sites while improving voter access. But after 11 listening sessions with the public and local clerks around the state, the board has found a lack of support for early voting at this time, according to a report presented Monday. "A majority of clerks don't want early voting," board director Kevin Kennedy said. Clerks are "extremely concerned" about the cost of buying new voting machines to tabulate the ballots, staffing voting locations before an election and other costs associated with adopting early voting, the report said. Clerks say they are already cutting their budgets and services and can't afford to spend more money to run elections, it said. The public has also raised concerns that early voting would make it easier to commit voter fraud, the report said. Some have urged the board to push back the date for an early voting pilot program, which has been proposed for the April 2010 election. The board will collect more feedback before suggesting in October what early voting options, if any, should be considered.

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