• 
• CLASS
• JOBS
• AUTO
• HOMES

Pigskin and politics: Voter registration held at football game

Photo

Photo by Dan Lassiter

Blackhawk Tech student Zach Lee registers to vote at Monterey Stadium in Janesville before the Craig/Parker football game. City Clerk Treasurer Jean Wulf, right, and Deputy City Clerk Treasurer Dave Godek help him sign up at one of two special tables at the stadium.

JANESVILLE — Janesville Clerk Treasurer Jean Wulf spent her Friday night at the Craig-Parker football game.

But it wasn’t the battle between the green and gold and blue and white that brought Wulf to the game. She was more interested in the battle between red and blue that will take place on Nov. 4.

In an unusual move, Wulf and her deputy clerk Dave Godek set up a voter registration station inside the gates of Monterey Stadium.

“We wanted to try something different,” Wulf said. “We were looking for events that generate a lot of people.”

The Cougar-Viking football game is usually a sell-out, so Wulf and her clerk were in the right spot.

Wulf is doing everything she can to encourage early registration for November’s presidential election.

In the last presidential election, about 32,000 Janesville residents voted and about 7,500 had to register at the polls.

This election is expected to be just as busy, and the two-year-old statewide registration process will take slightly longer than it has in the past.

Wulf predicts that it could take up to an hour or more to register on election day.

Art and Deena Leavens stopped by to register before going to watch their son Zach, a Craig senior, play football.

Deena didn’t have her driver’s license with her, so Wulf suggested she fill out the form and mail it in.

To encourage early registration, Wulf’s office is also holding Saturday office hours from 8 a.m. to noon on Oct. 11 and 25.

People registering before Oct. 15 only need a driver’s license number or state identification card number. Suspended drivers’ licenses are valid for registration.

People who don’t have either license or identification card can use the last four digits of their Social Security number.

However, if you have a license or identification card, you cannot use your Social Security number as a substitute.

If you register after Oct. 15, you’ll need proof of residence, as well. Proof of residence can include a utility or phone bill or a bank statement.

And if you want to register at the polls, you might want to bring a book—because you’ll probably have to wait in line.