Wisconsin Voters to Vote on ID Requirement on April 1st Election

Wednesday, March 12th, 2025 -- 10:01 AM

(Sarah Lehr, Wisconsin Public Radio) Voters across Wisconsin will decide during the April 1 election whether to add a voter identification requirement to the state’s Constitution.

According to Sarah Lehr with the Wisconsin Public Radio, under a 2011 state law, Wisconsin voters already have to present an acceptable form of photo ID.

But, if it’s approved by a majority of voters this spring, a constitutional provision would help cement that requirement, and protect it against future legal challenges.

The ballot question asks voters whether they want to amend the Wisconsin Constitution to mandate that voters “present valid photographic identification verifying their identity in order to vote in any election, subject to exceptions which may be established by law?”

If a majority of voters vote “yes,” a couple of paragraphs would be added to the state Constitution. That includes language saying that the ID could be from “the federal government, a federally recognized American Indian tribe or band in this state, or a college or university in this state.”

The proposed constitutional language itself doesn’t specify what types of IDs would be allowed but says those rules are to be set by the state Legislature. The amendment also clarifies that a voter can cast a provisional ballot if they show up at the polls without an acceptable photo ID.

That mirrors existing rules in Wisconsin, which allow a provisional ballot to be counted, so long as a voter shows up later and presents an acceptable ID to election officials before 4 p.m. on the Friday after an election.

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