WisPolitics Budget Blog

I voted today and on the way out to my truck, I conducted my own personal exit poll. Because people know me at the town hall from when I was their elected supervisor, no one ran, or scowled, or flagged-down our town constable, Big Blaine.

I simply asked, if you had to, could you produce a picture ID before voting today?

Keep in mind that our small square of Rock County is dominated by farms, scattered subdivisions and seasonal residents with summer homes along the water. And back in 1984, when Ronald Reagan was riding a Morning in America landslide, our township went for Mondale. Young people do not stay here, so the median age of our voters is somewhere near the age of Moses.

In the business of politics and polling, we call the above items, cross-tabs.

I live in an area where if you have the right last name, more than half of the township is related to you. No need for picture-proof among this group; the poll worker is your mother’s aunt from your grandpa’s side.

However, given Wisconsin’s free-wheeling residency suggestions, seasonal residents represent potential mayhem to our ageless volunteer poll workers – some who may not read as well as Moses.

I am pleased to report that, here in Wisconsin’s Tobacco Land, 100% of those surveyed replied that providing a photo ID before voting “is not a big deal.”