Wisconsin voter ID requirement to be enshrined in state constitution
MILWAUKEE - Wisconsin voters cast their ballots on Tuesday, April 1 in favor of enshrining a voter ID requirement into the state constitution.
Voter ID in Wisconsin constitution
What we know:
The Republican-controlled Legislature placed the measure on the ballot and pitched it as a way to bolster election security and protect the law from being overturned in court.
Democratic opponents argued that photo ID requirements are often enforced unfairly, making voting more difficult for people of color, disabled people and poor people.
Voters check-in at a polling location. (Matthew Hatcher/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Wisconsin voters will not notice any change when they go to the polls. They will still have to present a valid photo ID just as they have under the state law, which was passed in 2011 and went into effect permanently in 2016 after a series of unsuccessful lawsuits.
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Placing the photo ID requirement in the constitution makes it more difficult for a future Legislature controlled by Democrats to change the law. Any constitutional amendment must be approved in two consecutive legislative sessions and by a statewide popular vote.
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Dig deeper:
Wisconsin is one of nine states where people must present photo ID to vote, and its requirement is the nation’s strictest, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Thirty-six states have laws requiring or requesting that voters show some sort of identification, according to the NCSL.
Reaction
State Sen. Van Wanggaard (R-Racine)
"I want to thank the voters for ensuring that Voter ID will remain the law of Wisconsin regardless of the political whims of the Wisconsin Supreme Court. This will help maintain integrity in the electoral process, no matter who controls the Legislature.
"It’s telling, once again, how every Democrat in the Legislature opposed this measure that was overwhelmingly approved by voters. It shows when it comes to the issues, elected Democrats stand with the radical left rather than with the common sense people of Wisconsin."
The Source: The information in this post was provided in part by The Associated Press.