Jan 10, 2025 Story by: Editor
On Tuesday, Wisconsin Senate Republicans advanced a proposal to amend the state constitution, requiring voters to provide photo identification when casting their ballots. This move aims to strengthen the voter ID law, which was fully implemented in 2016, and make it more difficult for future legislatures or courts to reverse the requirement. The amendment would ensure that only another constitutional amendment could remove the voter ID rule.
The Senate Judiciary and Public Safety Committee approved the proposal, despite objections from Democrats who argued that the measure was unnecessary, given the existing law, and would complicate voting rights. They also expressed concerns that the law disproportionately affects certain voters.
The full Senate is scheduled to vote on the proposal Wednesday morning. If approved, it will be sent to the Assembly in time to be included on the April ballot, alongside the election to fill a critical seat on the state Supreme Court vacated by Justice Ann Walsh Bradley’s retirement.
Senator Van Wanggaard (R-Racine), who co-authored the proposal, highlighted concerns over the possibility of future challenges to voter ID laws, particularly after the state Supreme Court shifted to a liberal majority in 2023. Wanggaard warned that such challenges could eventually reach the court, potentially overturning the law. “The only way to ensure that… our future Supreme Courts will not overturn voter ID is to enshrine this basic election integrity law in Wisconsin’s Constitution,” he stated during the hearing.
Wanggaard also referred to comments made by Judge Susan Crawford, a candidate for the state Supreme Court, who has opposed the voter ID law, calling it “draconian.” Crawford faces Brad Schimmel, a former state attorney general who supports the voter ID law and has suggested that the 2016 law may have helped President-elect Donald Trump and U.S. Senator Ron Johnson win Wisconsin.
The proposed constitutional amendment would require voters to present photo IDs issued by the state, federal government, a federally recognized American Indian tribe, or a college or university in Wisconsin. It also mandates that acceptable forms of ID be defined by law, grants lawmakers the authority to pass exceptions to the photo ID requirement, and ensures that individuals who cannot present valid ID on Election Day can still vote using a provisional ballot, provided they present the required ID later.
For the constitutional amendment to take effect, lawmakers must pass the same proposal in two consecutive legislative sessions before sending it to voters for approval. The proposal was passed by Republicans in November 2023 and was reviewed again during Tuesday’s hearing.
Democrats criticized the measure, with Sen. Kelda Roys (D-Madison) arguing that Republicans were rushing the proposal and imposing policies without considering the potential barriers voters face. “When those rights are stripped away by the federal Supreme Court, this body refuses to act,” Roys said. “But when we want to hurt people and make it harder for them to exercise one of the most fundamental rights in our democracy, the right to vote, we’re very, very eager to do that.”
Roys emphasized the challenges that voters may face in obtaining a photo ID, even if they are available for free. She pointed out that people might struggle with the costs associated with getting the required documentation or with accessing the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) for the ID. A report by UW-Madison political scientists during the 2016 election found that between 8,000 and 17,000 registered voters in Dane and Milwaukee counties were deterred from voting, with 4,000 to 11,000 being prevented from voting due to the voter ID law.
Despite Wanggaard’s dismissal of such concerns, saying, “Go get an ID if you want to vote,” Roys stressed that such policies ignore the difficulties faced by vulnerable individuals, like single parents with limited access to transportation.
No one at the hearing testified in support of the proposal, while groups such as the League of Women Voters Wisconsin, Disability Rights Wisconsin, and the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign voiced opposition, highlighting concerns about accessibility for people with disabilities, students, and low-income voters.
Rep. Patrick Snyder (R-Weston) pointed out that voters who lack an ID can still cast a provisional ballot, which will be counted once they provide a valid ID. However, Sen. LaTonya Johnson (D-Milwaukee) expressed concerns about the barriers even provisional ballots could present, including difficulty returning to the polling place or taking time off work to meet the requirements.
Johnson criticized the GOP’s focus on voter ID as their top priority. “If we want to ensure that everybody has the right to vote, we could make automatic registration at the time people turn 18… But we’re not,” Johnson said. “Voter ID is our priority… I think it sets a precedent in this committee about the people that we send here and what we think our constituents care about.”
The Assembly Campaigns and Elections Committee is set to meet Wednesday morning to review the proposal. Source: Wisconsin Examiner
