New Proposal Would See Wisconsin's Voter ID Law Enshrined in the State Constitution

Thursday, October 26th, 2023 -- 1:00 PM

(By Anya van Wagtendonk, Wisconsin Public Radio) Wisconsin's photo identification requirement for voters would become enshrined in the Wisconsin Constitution under a proposal making its way through the Legislature, a move GOP lawmakers say is aimed at preventing the new liberal majority on the state Supreme Court from doing away with the law.

According to Anya van Wagtendonk with Wisconsin Public Radio, Republicans are also weighing other changes to the state Constitution that would affect voters, including a ban on non-citizen voting and a ban on the use of private funds for elections.

Members of the public weighed in on the three proposed amendments at a public hearing on Tuesday. To be approved, the resolutions would have to pass two consecutive legislative sessions and then be approved by voters.

They would not be subject to a Governor's veto. The voter ID proposal would render permanent a state law requiring a voter to show photographic proof of identity before casting a ballot. Supporters of ID laws say that they're a shield against voter fraud, while opponents say that they serve to discourage voting.

"I cannot say for certain how the Wisconsin Supreme Court would rule on voter ID laws, but I'm also not willing to risk the Wisconsin Supreme Court declaring voter ID laws unconstitutional," said Sen. Van Wanggaard, R-Racine, at Tuesday's joint hearing of the Senate Shared Revenue, Elections and Consumer Protection Committee and Assembly Campaigns and Elections Committee.

"The only way to ensure it will not happen is to enshrine this basic election integrity law in Wisconsin's constitution," he added. That proposal is newly introduced. It would have to pass two legislative sessions in a row, meaning the earliest it could land before voters would be 2025.

Feel free to contact us with questions and/or comments.