Report: Eliminating voter registration at polls on election day would cost state up to $14.5M

MADISON — A new report says eliminating voter registration at the polls on election day would cost Wisconsin up to $14.5 million, nearly three times as much as initially estimated.

The new total is included in a report released Monday by the state Government Accountability Board, which oversees elections in Wisconsin.

It is up from its first estimate of $5 million. That included only estimated expenses by the elections board. The new cost includes estimated expenses from four state agencies affected by doing away with same-day registration, which would trigger implementation of federal voter registration requirements.

Gov. Scott Walker supports ending same-day registration but has said he wouldn’t sign a bill costing $5 million.