Joe Tarr
Alfonzo Noble signs documents to get a free ID in order to vote for the first time.
Molly McGrath has been pestering Alfonzo Noble for more than a week on Facebook.
McGrath, an outreach coordinator with VoteRiders, met the 18-year-old Noble during a visit to West High School earlier this year. She offered to help him get a free non-driver ID so he can vote for the first time. The offer came complete with some friendly nagging for him to get his necessary documents in order and even a ride to the DMV.
While the voter ID law is extra hassle for many voters, it’s also meant more work for organizers. “Before it used to be, once you registered to vote, you’re set to go. Now there’s this extra step,” McGrath explains. “It’s not enough anymore to give them a piece of lit and wish them good luck.”
So organizers spend much of their time helping voters track down Social Security cards, birth certificates and proof of residency. Union Cab has been offering free rides, with funding from the Dane County Clerk’s office.
Spring break was an obvious time for McGrath to take Noble to the DMV. But the teenager missed their first appointment, at 10 a.m. on Monday that week. McGrath kept at him, until finally, at 3 p.m. that Friday, she’s parked in his driveway off of Park Street, patiently waiting for him to emerge.
It takes him a few minutes, but in the car he’s chipper and polite, calling us “ma’am” and “sir.”
Although he’s annoyed by the hassles of getting an ID, he’s excited to vote for the first time. He’s a Hillary fan. Many of his friends prefer Bernie, but they all agree on one thing: “Nobody really likes Donald Trump.”
Getting an ID on his own would be difficult. He would have to take three buses to get to the DMV office, which closes at 4:30 p.m. — not long after school lets out.
“Not every black family grows up with cars,” says Noble, who is black. “My stepdad has a car, but he’s gone 24-7 at work. I see parents catching buses with their children every day, sometimes newborn children. That’s crazy.”
But he doesn’t object to the ID law or see malice in it. Asked if he thinks it was designed to keep black people from the polls, he says: “I hope not. That would be pretty messed up.”
The DMV office on this Good Friday afternoon is actually relatively quiet — a clerk thinks most people expected it to be closed for the holiday and didn’t bother coming in.
The clerk waiting on Noble is helpful but a little sassy. While waiting in line, Noble starts to explain to us that he used to have another middle name, but it was changed when he was adopted as an infant and his birth certificate was amended.
“Nah, nah, nah,” the clerk suddenly cuts in. “Don’t talk. Stop talking. That’s a story for the car ride home. This is what I see, this is who you are. If there’s been any name changes or anything, I’m going to have to send you back for another document.”
After about 10 minutes, she gives Noble his temporary ID, which can be used for voting until his permanent one comes in the mail.
Out in the lobby, Noble hugs McGrath. “I thank this woman for actually taking me,” he says. “You were staying on top of business, I respect that.”
Estimated number of people eligible to vote in Wisconsin: 4.4 million
Number who were registered as of March 25, 2016: 3.4 million
Estimated number of people who voted April 5, 2016: 2.1 MILLION
Number of non-driver IDs issued by the state since the voter ID law was passed on July 1, 2011: 550,690
Number that were issued for free: 440,641
For help getting a voter ID for the general election, contact: voteriders.org/wisconsin-voter-id-information
