Wisconsin voters should be well informed of their rights on Election Day, thanks to the efforts of multiple organizations to ensure voter protection throughout the state.

In 2002, the People For the American Way Foundation created the Election Protection Project in 20 states, including Wisconsin, to assist voters in the Nov. 5 general election that year.

This year, the project is again preparing to help voters and make them aware of their rights. Volunteers and attorneys will be made available on-site or through a toll-free telephone number Nov. 2 to make sure the voting process runs smoothly.

Both political parties are also getting in on the action, each promising to provide volunteers on Election Day at polling locations throughout the state.

"We do plan to be out in force on Election Day," said Chris Lato, communications director for the Republican Party of Wisconsin.

Volunteers will be able to report irregularities they see at the polls thanks to training in election laws, Lato said. They will also provide a toll-free number voters can call if they run into any problems while voting.

So far the Republicans have recruited over 40,000 volunteers throughout the state over the course of a year, Lato said.

"The more folks we get out on both sides on Election Day, the better," he said.

The Democratic Party of Wisconsin is planning to have several hundred volunteers available at polling locations on Election Day, said spokesperson Seth Boffeli.

"Anybody who's interested," including local activists, lawyers and law students, is invited to volunteer, Boffeli said.

The main goal of the voter protection efforts is to prevent confusion, like that seen in Florida in the 2000 election.

"As we saw four years ago, if there would have been a voter protection team in Florida in 2000, we would have better been able to handle" the situation, Boffeli said. "By having this system in place, we can have someone … rectify the situation" if a similar one occurs.

"We want to make sure that everyone who can vote does," he said.

Groups are also working to pre-register voters in the weeks leading up to the election.

Democratic volunteers and paid staff members have been going door-to-door to register voters and are also encouraging people to vote via absentee ballot, Boffeli said.

The Republicans are worried, though, about the legality of some groups registering voters, Lato said.

"There are a number of concerns, and they are multiplying by the day," he said.

Lato said state Republicans recently composed a letter to the state Elections Board asking for emergency rules for the election and registering new voters.

The Republicans want to make sure the groups act legally when registering voters, he said.

Another group, Project Vote, has come under scrutiny for its registration methods, which have resulted in botched forms and information in Racine.

Though the city "received quite a few forms … something we see all the time, especially in a presidential year," said acting Racine Clerk Carolyn Moskonas, "a few did trigger some concerns."

In a letter sent by Moskonas to the coordinator of Project Vote, several examples of incorrect or missing voter information were cited. In one case, a form that was supposedly filled out by Racine's affirmative action officer did not have the correct birth date, and neither the officer nor his son said they filled out a registration form.

Despite the problems, Moskonas is still supportive of pre-registration.

"You're always going to have some weird situations," she said. This "hasn't changed my beliefs about early registration."