Common Council votes to put referendum on same-day voter registration on April 2 ballot

Written by admin   // January 24, 2013   // 0 Comments

The Milwaukee Common Council recently approved a measure that would place an advisory referendum question on continuing same-day voter registration on the April 2 spring general election ballot.

The measure, sponsored by Ald. Milele Coggs and co-sponsored by eight other council members, was approved by a 11 to 4 vote and will now go to Mayor Tom Barrett for his signature.

The eight co-sponsors were Aldermen Ashanti Hamilton, Robert Bauman, Willie Wide, Nik Kovac, Willie Hines, Jose Perez, Tony Zielinski and Joe Davis.

“I am pleased that the question of same-day registration will go before Milwaukee voters on April 2, because I truly believe that residents understand and appreciate how important it is,” Coggs said in a statement.

“Same day registration has been in place in the state of Wisconsin for the last 36 years (since 1974).

“There were more than 54,000 same day registrations in the city of Milwaukee for the November 6, 2012 Presidential Election. In Milwaukee, that represented nearly 20% of all voters, or one in five voters.”

Coggs said same day registration is extremely important for college students, and Milwaukee’s highest same day registration wards are those surrounding college and university campuses, particularly, UWM, Marquette and MSOE.

“Renters and people in poverty, often due to economic challenges, also are among those who most often utilize same day registration.

So the question is now up to voters, and I encourage everyone to get out and vote on April 2,” Coggs said.

Tags:

advisory

approved

Common Council

election ballot

measure

milwaukee

place

referendum

voter registration