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Wisconsin voter ID opponents want new hearing

By WTOP Staff

TODD RICHMOND
Associated Press

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Civil rights advocates said Tuesday they plan to ask the full 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to reconsider a ruling by a three-judge panel that reinstated Wisconsin’s voter photo identification law.

With seven weeks until Election Day and with absentee ballots already coming in, state and local elections officials were working feverishly to implement the law after Friday’s ruling, which came just hours after oral arguments in the case.

The American Civil Liberties Union and the Advancement Project released a statement saying they planned to file a motion with the court Tuesday asking for a re-hearing in front of the entire appeals court, a proceeding that usually involves around 10 judges, rather than the three who typically decide cases.

The court rarely grants such requests, but the two groups vowed to exhaust every legal option to stop the law.

A spokeswoman for Republican Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen, who defended the law, declined to comment.

Republican lawmakers passed a law in 2011 requiring people to show certain government-issued photo ID at the polls to vote. Allowable IDs include driver’s licenses, state ID cards, passports, some college student IDs, military IDs, naturalization certificates or IDs issued by a Wisconsin-based American Indian tribe.

Military and permanent overseas voters are exempt from the requirement.

Because of multiple legal challenges, the requirement had not been enforced since the February 2012 primary.

But Kevin Kennedy, Wisconsin’s chief elections official, said work done after the law was passed in 2011 has put the state in a good position to implement the law quickly now.

“We don’t have to reinvent the wheel,” Kennedy said at a Tuesday news conference.

The most pressing immediate issue was what to do about more than 11,800 voters who had requested absentee ballots before the ruling. Hundreds of those ballots, which were obtained without having to show photo identification, have already been filled out and returned to local election clerks, Kennedy said.

Everyone who requested an absentee ballot will be contacted and told they need to present a copy of an allowable photo ID in order to have their ballot counted, Kennedy said.

For new requests, voters will have to show copies of their IDs before being sent the ballot.

Another area of concern is that many college IDs in Wisconsin don’t include information required under the law for them to be used for voting purposes, Kennedy said. Under the law, the college IDs must have signatures on them and expire within two years of being issued.

Anyone who doesn’t have the proper ID on Election Day can cast a provisional ballot. They would then have until 4 p.m. on the Friday after the election to present the required ID to have the vote counted.

Election clerks will undergo additional training, some are hiring more staff, and the elections board is posting information about photo ID on its website to help implement the law smoothly, Kennedy said.

Kennedy said he had no estimate on how the new law may affect turnout in the Nov. 4 election.

But the Advancement Project and the ACLU said the court’s ruling will create widespread confusion that could prevent more than 300,000 people who lack photo IDs from voting.

“Regardless of the ultimate outcome of this case, there simply isn’t enough time to educate the public, get IDs into their hands and train the poll workers. There’s just too much to do here,” said ACLU attorney Dale Ho. “It’s a recipe for chaos.”

The groups filed a federal lawsuit challenging the mandate in 2011, the same year it was passed. A federal judge in Milwaukee found the law unconstitutional this spring, but Van Hollen has asked the 7th Circuit to overturn that decision.

A three-judge 7th Circuit panel — all appointed by former Republican presidents — ruled Friday that the state could implement the law while it considers the merits of the case.

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Follow Scott Bauer on Twitter at https://twitter.com/sbauerAP

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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