State election officials okay voter registration mailings

MADISON — The state Elections Commission has approved mailing postcards to more than a million unregistered voters urging them to get on the rolls.

Legislators passed a law earlier this year requiring Wisconsin to join a multi-state consortium called the Electronic Registration Information Center, which works to identify eligible voters who haven't registered. ERIC requires member states to reach out before Oct. 1 every two years to eligible voters who may not be registered.

The commission expects to mail between 1 million and 1.5 million postcards in late September, giving recipients enough time to take action before mail registration ends Oct. 19. Voters also can register at the polls on Election Day Nov. 8.

The commission approved the mailing on a unanimous vote Tuesday.