Weekly Wrap Up

December 18, 2009

Every Friday, State of Elections brings you the latest news in state election law.

– The recount in Virginia’s 21st district is over, and Ron Villanueva has been declared the winner by only 16 votes.

– Wisconsin held a voter education summit on Tuesday.  Topics discussed include felon voting rights, photo id requirements at the polls, and Wisconsin’s same day registration law.

– Also in Wisconsin, two convicted felons are facing felony election fraud charges for voting in the November 2008 election. If convicted, they could be given up to three years and six months in prison.

– California is also debating the merits of a photo id requirement.  State Senator George Runner has proposed an initiative that would require voters to show a driver’s license or other government issued ID before being given a ballot. The initiative has already come under fire from some Latino organizations, who fear the initiative could be used to discriminate against minority voters.