Disclaimer: The Voter Photo ID Law is in effect as of April 2015. Historical information in this clerk communication may not be current.

Voter Photo ID Guidance 2014-5

In our communication of October 10, 2014 regarding the decision of the U.S. Supreme Court, we indicated that the G.A.B. would provide a template letter to inform voters that they are not required to provide a photo ID.  Attached is a letter that may be used for this purpose.  Please send this text to the following categories of voters:

1. Electors who were mailed an absentee ballot before the order of the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals on September 12, 2014, which reinstated the photo ID requirement, and who have not yet returned their ballot:  These voters should have subsequently received a letter advising that they needed to submit a copy of their proof of identification with their ballot.  The Supreme Court’s order has eliminated this requirement.
2. Electors

a.    to whom you mailed an absentee ballot because they reside in a residential care facility that is eligible for special voting deputy service, but which will not be served by special voting deputies, and
b.    who are also not indefinitely confined, and
c.    who have not returned their absentee ballot.

These voters should have been previously advised that they needed to provide a copy of their proof of identification with their ballot or have an authorized representative of the facility verify their identity.  Without the photo ID requirement in place, the absentee certificate envelope only needs to include a witness signature as with any other absentee voter.

Also, we are providing the attached press release which you may customize for your local media outlets.  Given the court decisions over the past month, we encourage repeatedly publicizing the fact that the photo ID requirement is not in effect for the General Election, in order to minimize voter confusion and prepare voters for voting.  We have updated our agency website and the Bring it to the Ballot website to reflect the status of the photo ID requirement, and ask that you ensure that your own websites are similarly updated.  You may wish to consider a message on your website confirming for your residents that photo ID is not required to obtain a ballot.

Finally, some organizations had previously and independently posted signs or distributed communications informing voters that photo ID would be required at the General Election.  If you become aware of any such signs or communications that still contain that message, we ask that you contact the person or organization that is responsible and request that the information be corrected.

Thank you for your assistance with these steps.  If you have any questions, please contact the G.A.B. Help Desk at @email or (608) 261-2028.