Mayor Barrett, members of Common Council kick off voter ID social media campaign

MILWAUKEE (WITI) – Mayor Tom Barrett and members of the Milwaukee Common Council gathered Monday morning, October 6th to launch a new social media campaigned aimed at spreading awareness of the new voter ID regulations that will be enforced during the upcoming November elections. This, on the same day a federal appeals court ruled Wisconsin’s requirement for voters to show photo identification at the polls is constitutional.

"The estimates were as high as 300,000 (voters who do not have proper ID) at one point. If you come to the polls and you do not have the proper identification, you cannot participate in our democracy," Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett said Monday.

And with that, Mayor Barrett laid out a challenge on Monday.

"We`re going to start an old-fashioned chain letter. We`re going to have some fun with a very, very serious issue," Mayor Barrett said.

The "Voter ID Challenge" asks Milwaukee community leaders and residents to take to social media and show that they are ready to vote by posting photos or videos of themselves with their appropriate Wisconsin State ID. Residents can challenge their friends, family members or neighbors to also show that they are prepared to vote.

“The goal is to make sure that as many people as possible are aware of the Voter ID law and are prepared to vote on November 4th. Everyone should have the opportunity to vote, and this campaign can help connect residents who are active on social media to the necessary information," Mayor Barrett said.

Milwaukeeans who participate in the challenge are encouraged to tag their posts with #VoterIDChallenge, and include in their posts the link to a website such as bringit.wisconsin.gov that has additional info on the appropriate forms of ID.

Henry Glover and his sister say they're registered to vote, and they have their photo ID ready. They say they won't be surprised if the Voter ID Challenge becomes a trending topic.

"We need to vote. If we want to make a difference, we need to vote. Social media works. That`s the best thing I can say. It works," Henry Glover said.

An important note about the Voter ID Challenge: Be sure to make sure your driver's license number, address and any other sensitive information on your photo ID are protected when posting to social media.

With less than one month until election date, getting the word out about appropriate forms of identification is critical.

 

“I hope my neighbors will join us in spreading the message that a photo ID is needed to vote on November 4th. No one should be kept from voting because they don’t have an ID. We need to connect residents who don’t have an ID to the resources available," Milwaukee Common Council President Michael Murphy said.

Having the correct form of identification is only the first step in preparing for the upcoming elections. To help fight congestion, residents are reminded to make sure they are registered to vote at their current address prior to November 4. If residents are not certain where they are registered at their current address, or need to register, they can visit milwaukee.gov/election to do so.

For any questions regarding election procedures, residents can call the City of Milwaukee’s Call Center at 286-CITY.

CLICK HERE for voter ID information before you head to the polls -- including what forms of ID are acceptable, and how to obtain ID for voting.

CLICK HERE for complete coverage of voter ID via FOX6Now.com.