⛸️ Madison’s skating rinks are open!

🗳️ Why Did Nearly 200 Madison Ballots Go Uncounted?

• The Wisconsin Elections Commission will probe why 193 ballots in Madison were uncounted in the November election. It’s the commission’s first formal investigation since it was formed in 2016.
• The Madison City Clerk’s office announced last month that the ballots, from three Madison wards, went uncounted in the election. Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway said she fully supported the investigation into why the discrepancy happened and why it took over a month for it to be reported to the commission.
• City officials have noted that the uncounted ballots wouldn’t have changed the results of the elections or referendums. ( 🔒WSJ, City of Madison)

🚌 You Can Soon Flash Your Plastic To Ride BRT

• Madison Metro officials said bus rapid transit riders will be able to use their credit cards or tap their phones to pay for a ride by this spring. Currently, riders have to get a fare transit card to ride the bus.
• In March, Madison Metro plans to extend hourly service to Monona via Route 38. Officials are also researching adding a north-south BRT line, but the city has not yet secured funding for that project.
• Dig deeper: Have more questions about BRT? Listen to our Q&A with Mick Rusch of Madison Metro on the City Cast Madison podcast. [WPR, Metro, 🎧 City Cast Madison]

🍎 Luna’s Groceries To Expand On South Side

• Luna’s Groceries will open a second location later this year in the space at the Village on Park Mall formerly occupied by Yue-Wah Oriental Foods.
• Owner Mariam Nuñez hopes to replicate the same success she’s had with the first Luna’s location in the Allied Drive area, which opened in 2019. The new Park Street location will include a small takeout Caribbean restaurant, and Nuñez plans to include some of the Asian food items that Yue-Wah customers counted on.
• Dig deeper: Listen to Nuñez talk about how a local grocery store builds a community on the City Cast Madison podcast. [Madison365, 🎧 City Cast Madison]

Most people whip out their old driver’s license as a form of ID at the TSA checkpoint when they fly domestically. But that won’t be an option on May 7, when the U.S. Department of Homeland Security will require an enhanced form of identification called a “REAL ID” to get on the plane.

Here’s some info on what REAL ID is, when you will need it, and how to get yours.

🪪 What is REAL ID?

In 2005, President George W. Bush signed the REAL ID Act, which was based on recommendations from the federal 9/11 Commission that the federal government set minimum standards for ID, such as driver’s licenses.

Believe it or not, the law was originally supposed to go into effect back in 2008, but has been pushed back year after year. But on May 7, 2025, REAL ID will finally go into effect.

🤔 What’s Different About a REAL ID?

A REAL ID-compliant driver’s license or state-issued ID has additional security features that make it more difficult to counterfeit than a standard driver’s license, including a barcode and an embossed gold star in the upper right-hand corner.

✈️ When Do I Need to Show a REAL ID?

Beginning May 7, a REAL ID will be required when boarding commercial aircraft, entering a nuclear power plant, or entering certain federal facilities, including military bases. A valid U.S. passport will also be accepted.