Wisconsin State Legislation

Voter ID Bill

The Wisconsin legislature approved the Voter ID bill which will require voters to present a photo ID when they vote.  For the 2011 recall elections, voters will be asked for a photo ID, but do not have to provide it.  For 2012 elections, a photo ID will be required.

The Wisconsin State AFL-CIO has prepared the issue brief printed below.  It outlines the changes in the law and the impact it has on Wisconsin voters.   

 Wisconsin State AFL-CIO 

LEGISLATIVE ISSUE BRIEF

Assembly Bill 7

Intentional Barriers to Voter Participation (Photo ID)

 

[Status of Assembly Bill 7: The bill has passed both houses of the legislature. Governor Walker announced he will sign AB 7 into law on May 25.]

Assembly Bill 7 makes major changes to voting rights in Wisconsin. The most significant is the requirement that voters must produce an approved photo ID in order to vote—beginning with the 2012 elections.  (There are only a few exceptions, such as for those living in retirement homes and nursing homes). A voter without an official photo ID will be allowed to cast a "provisional ballot". That ballot will be counted only if the individual brings the required identification to the polls before they close that day—or to the city, village or town clerk by 4:00 pm on the Friday after the election.

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IMPORTANT: For elections held in 2011 (such as the recall elections), poll workers are required to ask for a photo ID from each voter,but an individual cannot be denied the right to cast a ballot if they do not have such identification, and their vote must be counted.

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Voting changes that do take place immediately include

: (a) the early voting period is cut in half and will begin the third Monday before the election and end on the Friday before the election; (b) voters are required to sign poll books when they vote; and (c) voters must live in the ward 28 consecutive days before they vote (now 10 days). There are also special requirements for students to prove residency when they register to vote that go into effect immediately (in addition to proof of identification in 2012).

(For a summary of all voting changes in AB 7 prepared by the Wisconsin Legislative Council, go to http://www.legis.state.wi.us enter Assembly Bill 7 and hit on the link to "AB 7 LC Amendment Memo.)

Some may think it is reasonable to ask voters to produce an official photo ID, especially when many already have a driver’s license. However, AB 7 is promoted by Republicans because there are groups of voters that tend to vote Democratic who are not as likely to have the required official photo ID and will face major obstacles to secure one from the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), where there already are long lines due to cutbacks in public employees. Those voters mainly impacted by AB 7 are lower income workers, the elderly, those with disabilities, transit riders, university students and people of color.

DMV will provide free photo IDs upon request

. Currently, there are no uniform hours that the Wisconsin’s 91 DMV offices are open: 26% are open one day a month or less; only one has weekend hours; three counties have no DMV office; and over half are open on a part-time basis only.
 

"This is one of the most transparent political power moves in recent memory…meant to give more clout to Republicans by making it more difficult for a population that tends to vote Democratic to actually be able to vote." ("Voter ID Bill Is All About Political Power", Neil Heinen, Channel 3000) The following statistics outline the population that lacks a driver’s license and will need to obtain an alternative state-issued ID:

 

 

 

("Driver License Status of the Voting Age Population in Wisconsin", UW-Milwaukee, June 2005)

 23 percent of all elderly over the age of 65 (estimated to be 177,000)

 17 percent of white men and women

 55 percent of all African-American males and 49 percent of African-American women

 46 percent of Hispanic men and 59 percent of Hispanic women

Supporters of these major new obstacles to voting claim that they are needed to address voter fraud. Yet, they have totally failed to produce any evidence of widespread, systematic voter fraud in Wisconsin. Most of the mistakes made are related to honest errors by poll workers. The Wisconsin Department of Justice established a special task force to combat voter fraud in the 2008 election. As of January 2011, the Justice Department had charged two people with double voting, six people with voter registration misconduct and 11 people with violating the prohibition on felons voting—all of which were successfully prosecuted under the current system. ("Voter ID bill is harmful and unnecessary", Wausau Daily Herald, May 9, 2011)

This new law will actually do nothing to prevent a felon from securing a photo ID to vote, yet it will discourage countless voters from even going to the polls—or deny them the right to cast a lawful ballot once there.

State implementation of AB 7 and its photo ID requirement will cost taxpayers at least $6 million. Currently, only 8 out of 50 states require a photo ID to be shown at the polls. Another 18 require a wide array of other non-photo ID and 24 states require neither.

AB 7 creates the most restrictive form of ID requirements and makes Wisconsin the most difficult state in the nation in which to cast a vote.

Republicans argue that consumers who purchase certain items are required to show IDs so this is no different. There is no comparison. The right to vote is guaranteed to citizens of Wisconsin in our state constitution. The right to rent a movie is not. The right to vote is essential to our democratic process. These barriers to voting that discriminate against certain individuals and groups will undermine the legitimacy of Wisconsin elections.

For further information: Stephanie Bloomingdale, Secretary-Treasurer, (sbloomingdale@wisaflcio.org) or 414.771.0700, ext. 12; or Joanne Ricca (jricca@wisaflcio.org at ext. 24]

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