Wisconsin’s photo ID requirement for voting was elevated from a state law to a constitutional amendment on Tuesday. The "Yes" vote, in support of the amendment, won by a substantial margin (62% to 37%).
State Senator Van Wanggaard, the amendment's legislative sponsor, explains why it needed to be on the ballot. "We have the voter ID that is part of our statutory process here, so it's in the law – but the legislature could change it in one session," he says.
Placing the photo ID requirement in the state constitution makes it more difficult for a future legislature controlled by Democrats to change a law they have long opposed. Any constitutional amendment must be approved in two consecutive legislative sessions and by a statewide vote of the people.
The amendment, according to the Republican state lawmaker, offers a straightforward way for voters to abide. "They have to present a photo identification," he states. "… It's got to be something that's acceptable: a Wisconsin driver's license or a Wisconsin ID card – which is free – or it could be a federal ID, it could be another state ID."
Democratic opponents argue photo ID requirements are often enforced unfairly, making it more difficult for people of color, the disabled and poor people to vote. But Wanggaard says he's talked to hundreds of Wisconsinites from every walk of life who disagree.
"It just makes me laugh [when I hear that argument]," he shares. "When I talk to people who I meet, all different walks of life – ages, sexes, race – it doesn't make any difference."
And while a voter will now have to present a valid photo ID to get into the polling place, Wanggaard points out it doesn't follow the voter into the voting booth. "Once you've walked in [and] identified who you are, our system is anonymous. We don't know who you voted for. We don't know what you voted for," he says.
Wisconsin is one of nine states where voters must present a photo ID to cast a ballot and its requirement is the strictest in the country, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Thirty-six states have laws requiring or requesting that voters show some sort of identification at the polls, according to the conference.
Also on Tuesday, Wisconsin residents elected Democrat Susan Crawford to the state Supreme Court, solidifying a liberal majority on that court for at least the next three years.
