Case Students Register to Vote for April Election

Representatives from Turn Up the Vote helped 22 seniors register to vote Friday in the Case High School library.

In just 22 minutes, 21 seniors from Case High School registered to vote Friday morning in the school's library. "I want to have a say in who's running my community," said Kaila Wright from Racine. The opportunity to register to vote was presented by Turn Up the Vote representatives Kelly Gallaher and Heather Rayne Geyer in cooperation with Case teacher Michael Jensen.

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Gov. Scott Walker Vows Veto of Same-Day Registration Ban

Even though Republican governor raised the idea last month, he said the cost of eliminating same-day voter registration makes it a non-starter.

Gov. Scott Walker on Wednesday apparently drove the final nail into the coffin of calls to end same-day voter registration in Wisconsin, vowing to veto any such bill that imposed additional costs. “If it has a price tag, absolutely,” Walker told the Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism in an interview at the Executive Residence, when asked if he would use his veto pen. “There’s no way we’re spending money on something like that." The idea of ending same-day voter registration gained currency after Walker made a speech in California last month in which he suggested ending the state’s practice of letting voters register on Election Day, citing the burden it placed on poll workers. Two Republican lawmakers began seeking sponsors on a…

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sparky

12:17 am on Friday, December 21, 2012

I for one did not participate in the recall election. I disagree with what the Governor did but disagreeing with policy is not enough to be recalled in my opinion. Come the next election like all others I will be at the polls. If Governor Walker meets his campaign promise for 250,000 jobs created and my taxes go down he could change my mind.   more ›

Rayne's World

No Voter Intimidation: Know and Protect Your Voting Rights

Intimidation, redistricting, voter ID laws and changes in voting rules may turn some people off from voting in November. Arm yourself with knowledge so that you can safely participate in democracy.

It seems so clear – if you want to win an election, keep the opponent’s supporters from voting. Duh. It’s just so obvious, right? Problem is, you can only get away with the obvious for so long before the masses begin take notice. There has been a strong and persistent effort to disenfranchise groups of our population who typically tend to vote Democrat. I have little doubt that this has been a GOP fantasy for quite some time. And low and behold the Tea Party flew in on their rebel flag bumper stickered broomsticks and made their dreams come true. From passing photo voter ID laws to redistricting to changing registration rules – the Tea Party-infused GOP is making voting more challenging across the nation for a considerable percentage of …

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How to Register to Vote in Caledonia

In honor of National Voter Registration Day, we’re giving you all the information you need on how and where to register to vote.

If you haven’t yet registered to vote, get it off your to-do list now. Thousands of local, state and national organizations have mobilized to make sure millions of people don’t miss the chance to cast their vote in this year’s elections. Six million people didn’t vote in the 2008 elections because they either did not know how to register or because they missed the voter registration deadline. Here’s information on how you can register in time for the Nov. 6 elections: Elections officials urge voters to use the state's Voter Public Access website to make sure that they are registered at their current address.  Additionally, VPA will identify the races voters are eligible to vote in, and will tell voters whether they are eligible. Voters who…

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Mafia Mike

9:30 pm on Friday, September 28, 2012

There is no "NEW" law. If you have a valid drivers license and voted in the past 30 years, nothing has changed. There's no need to watch the video and sign the petition, and there is no Voter Suppression. That all ended before you were born.   more ›

Election Protection Hotline Keeping Busy with Confused Voter Calls

Questions about requirements for Election Day Registration, poll workers improperly asking voters' ID and deceptive robocalls suggesting voters who signed petitions or voted in earlier elections did not have to vote again are among reported issues.

Hundreds of voters have called into the Election Protection Hotline during the Recall Election on Tuesday seeking information and reporting a number of problems at poll locations throughout the state, according to a press release from the Election Protection organization. More from the release: As of 1 p.m. Tuesday, Election Protection received 594 calls from the state of Wisconsin with polling place inquiries, questions about the residency requirements needed for Election Day Registration, poll workers improperly asking voters to present ID in order to vote, and deceptive robocalls suggesting voters that who signed petitions or voted in earlier elections did not have to vote today.  Additionally, Election Protection received 519 calls …

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Student Group Promotes Voter Registration And Student Bill Of Rights

Youth Empowered in the Struggle (YES) has been running voter registration campaigns in Racine Unified high schools and working on a student bill of rights. But you might be surprised how closely intertwined the group is with the pro-labor movement.

Handmade posters hung on the walls at Case High School last week encouraging students of legal voting age to register. In the past, an outside organizations reminded students to register to vote, but this year things are different as a student group called Youth Empowered in the Struggle (YES) is behind the voter registration drive. The trend of mobilizing young voters has worked well for Democracts since young voters tend to vote for Democratic candidates, but a blog called BigGovernment said YES is a "leftist movement group." But students and organizers said YES is a student social justice group affiliated with Voces de La Frontera and the group has 12 chapters in Milwaukee- and Racine-area high schools and three universities. Mike …

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Discussion: Does The Voter ID Law Encourage Or Discourage Voting?

If you didn't have a driver's license, how likely would it be for you to get a state ID to vote?

There's no doubt that with the upcoming elections -- no matter how many there are -- they'll be contentious. But how people vote in these upcoming elections is about to change with the requirement to show a photo ID before a person can receive a ballot, and that is becoming a contentious issue too. Some are saying the new voter ID law will prevent people from even showing up to the polls, and they say that the law discriminates against people who are poor and homeless. But a poll done by Marquette University indicated that the majority of the registered voters they asked (a sample size of 701 registered voters) said they favored the law. One of the arguments made against the law has to do with the requirement that after a person proves …

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DJ

11:26 pm on Tuesday, January 31, 2012

and Bren, just on a side note, I applaud those who you find difficult to convince, since i believe those people to be independent thinkers and feel that they have the right to chose who and what they believe by their own rationale and not by someone else's beliefs   more ›

WEEK IN REVIEW: Here Are Our Top Stories

We know you're busy. So we thought we'd get you caught up on what was going on.

Horlick Teacher Says 'No' to Getting Award from Paul Ryan Texas Roadhouse, Red Lobster Adding 320 Jobs to Mount Pleasant After Initial Refusal, Clerk Certifies Voter Registration Deputies DISCUSSION: Are You A Business Owner Who Wants To Know More About Social Media? Curt Johnson Child Sex Assault Trial Starts April 23

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After Initial Refusal, Clerk Certifies Voter Registration Deputies

Clerk told Patch she was "confused" about new regulations, but audio file shared with Patch shows she did not mention that in her initial denials.

Village of Caledonia Clerk Karie Torkilsen thought she had more control over who could register voters in the Village when the law changed this year, but she didn’t. Torkilsen initially denied certification to four women who had applied to become Special Registration Deputies so they could register voters in the Village. The women told Patch that Torkilsen led them to believe she just didn't want to certify them to register voters, and several of them then filed complaints with the Government Accountability Board over her behavior. Torkilsen told Patch Wednesday she denied the requests because she was confused about the new rules and needed answers from the GAB.  This week, Torkilsen deputized three people, Jane Witt, Kathleen Laru, and …

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Complaints Over Voter Registration Filed Against Caledonia Clerk

Three Racine women, who had already been certified and deputized to register voters in other Wisconsin municipalities, each went to turn in their applications to Karie Torkilsen, the Caledonia Village Clerk. But they're applications were denied.

When three Racine women wanted to register voters in Caledonia, they were told they couldn't by Village Clerk Karie Torkilsen. Now, two of those women have filed complaints with the Government Accountability Board and a third will likely be filed this week. The GAB sent a memo out to municipal clerks, warning them not to arbitrarily deny appointments of Special Registration Deputies for their communities. Reid Magney, spokesman for the GAB, acknowledged the GAB received complaints about Torkilsen, but “(u)ntil they’re resolved, we don’t discuss the cases.” Torkilsen said the details of how clerks were supposed to manage the deputizing process were unclear to her and she needed clarification before she issued them. She just received the …

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