Gov. Walker Addresses Ending Same Day Voter Registration

(WFRV)- While delivering a speech at the Ronald Reagan library near Los Angeles this past Friday, Governor Scott Walker talked about his agenda in Wisconsin for the upcoming legislative session.

One item he addressed is causing a bit of a controversy.

During the speech, Walker talked of pushing to eliminate same-day voter registration in Wisconsin. Wisconsin is one of nine states, that allows voters to register at their polling place on election day, in a practice that's been in place since 1976.

Mike Tate, Chairman of the Democratic party in Wisconsin, reacted strongly saying,  "Scott Walker blatantly seeks to roll back decades worth of hard-fought freedoms in order to shore up his reputation as a national hero to the tea party and to preserve his own political power."

Today, Walker responded saying he campaigned on the issue when he first ran for governor in 2010, so no one should be surprised by his comments.

Walker says it's a policy that's run its course, in light of the new push for early voting nationwide.

"The biggest thing to keep in mind in Wisconsin and elsewhere in the push by all the campaigns to push for early voting. As more and more people do early voting same-day registration becomes  even less significant role that it did years ago."

Walker says some poll workers have a difficult time handling those who register at the last minute. He says it makes better sense to set a deadline ahead of an election, and let municipal clerks complete the registration process.