For Hub City Times

MADISON — The Wisconsin Department of Transportation filed emergency rule language, effective May 13, 2016, to better assist persons in obtaining free photo identification documentation valid for the purposes of voting.

Any Wisconsin voter that currently has a Wisconsin driver’s license or a Wisconsin Identification Card already has valid photo ID for voting. If an eligible Wisconsin voter does not have this identification, the DMV offers Wisconsin Identification Cards free for the purposes of voting.

The documentation requirements to obtain a Wisconsin ID card may be found online at wisconsindot.gov/Pages/dmv/license-drvs/how-to-apply/petition-process.aspx. This page also describes the petition process, which assists persons in obtaining proof of name and date of birth or proof of U.S. citizenship if unavailable to the applicant. The process to obtain verification of name and date of birth/U.S. citizenship can take time, especially for out-of-state births, so DMV will now issue photo identification card receipts no later than six business days from receipt of the petition application.

This identification card receipt, valid for the purposes of voting, is effective for 60 days and will be renewed as long as the application remains in process. This will ensure customers have the identification needed to vote while their application remains in process.

The emergency rule makes a number of other changes to the petition processing requirements, all of which are intended to provide clarity to petition applicants. With the upcoming elections this calendar year, Wisconsin DMV has published rule changes to help educate customers while providing streamlined access to valid identification for voting purposes.