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| The Wisconsin State Capital is likely to see more heated discussion about new, stricter voter ID laws. Image: Shutterstock |
On Monday an appeals court voted to uphold Wisconsin’s
strict voter ID law, which would require all voters to have a photo ID in order
to post their ballots. Though the final
decision rests with the Supreme Court, the ruling of the three-judge panel of
the 7th Circuit has already raised concerns with voter rights
activists.
The 23-page ruling was written
by Judge Frank Easterbrook and finds that the law is constitutional and
does not violate the Voting Rights Act (VRA), which bans racial discrimination
at the polls. Eastbrook wrote that the
law “deters fraud (so
that a low frequency stays low); it promotes accurate record keeping (so that
people who have moved after the date of registration do not vote in the wrong
precinct); [and] it promotes voter confidence.”
He also stated that anyone can get a photo ID, and anyone who doesn’t
have one “was unwilling to invest the necessary time.”
Opponents
worry that the law could disenfranchise many thousands who do not have photo
IDs—particularly non-white and lower-income voters. Already hundreds of voters have returned
absentee ballots without ID, since the law was not in effect when they
voted. If the Supreme Court does not
intervene, and the voters want their votes to count, they will now need to
return to their local election office with an acceptable ID…which might be
difficult for the estimated
300,000 registered Wisconsin voters who don’t have photo IDs.
The
panel did create a new procedure for voters who have neither photo ID nor birth
certificate, but it is only applicable to those born in Wisconsin. Those born out of state—often black or
Latino—don’t have this option.
The
Government Accountability Board, which oversees Wisconsin’s elections, has
moved to spend $460,000 on a campaign to inform voters of the new requirements. However, no movement has been made in this
area because, according
to Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, “that’s a lot of money to spend
on trying to inform people” about something that has already been publicized in
the media. However, according to a
study by the Marquette Law School, one fifth of Wisconsin voters still
don’t know they will likely need to provide a photo ID to vote this November.
Ultimately
the Supreme Court will determine if the law will officially go into
effect. If it does, the Marquette study
says it is likely to spell good news for Republican Governor Scott Walker, who
is up for reelection and is in a close race with Democrat Mary Burke.
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