As the state of Wisconsin builds its new $20-50 million voter registration system, political consultant Mark Grebner, a national authority on voter data issues, suggests an improvement that would guard against voter fraud without creating barriers to participation.

"It's hard to imagine a more effective deterrent to fraud than requiring a voter who can't produce an ID to leave his or her photo with the local election officials. Yet voting would remain convenient and accessible to everyone. The cost for the disposable cameras should not be more than $20 per ward, or perhaps $50,000 statewide," said Grebner.

Grebner suggests giving poll workers thumbnail photos of all potential voters for whom WisDOT already possesses a digital photographic image on Election Day. Further, he says to allow people who have no ID and whose digital image is not available in the DOT files to vote after getting their photo taken at the polls with an inexpensive disposable camera.

Electronic photos are already stored by the state for most eligible voters, in the form of their driver's license or state-issued personal ID. The Department of Transportation has, or will soon obtain, a photo of the great majority of voting age adults in Wisconsin.

Thumbnail versions of these photos could be included in a statewide voter registration database currently being developed and viewed online or printed out for use by poll workers on Election Day. Photos for an entire ward, about 2,000 images on average, could be printed on 20 sheets of paper. These poll lists with photos would be easy to handle and cost less than $2 per ward to print. Polling locations with Internet access could view thumbnail photos online for free.

State law could be changed to require: a) voters be given the option of presenting a photo ID; or b) be looked up by poll workers on Election Day; or c) pose for a quick snapshot if other methods cannot confirm their identity.

The disposable cameras used to take the snapshots would be stored with the used ballots and other election materials. The film could be developed if there was a credible allegation of fraud. If there was no challenge it would be destroyed at the same time the ballots routinely are.