When Governor Scott Walker signed the Voter ID bill into law, the League of Women Voters of Wisconsin says he essentially created another class of citizen - ones who cannot vote - and that is unconstitutional.
According to a story from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the League filed suit against the state on Thurs., Oct. 20, that alleges the Voter ID bill is unconstitutional. The state constitution currently allows lawmakers to exclude convicted felons and those deemed incompetent from casting votes.
The law will go into effect in February after being passed last spring.
To vote, citizens must show a government issued or approved photo identification. A driver's license, state, military, tribal or college ID, passport, or a naturalization certificate. The problem, the suit says, is that even if the state waives the $28 fee for the ID, so much documentation is required to get that far, people have already come out of pocket. Birth certificates, for example, cost about $20 and replacing a lost state ID that was originally free can go for $16.
Walker has issued a statement, saying the photo ID requirement is just common sense.
"We require it to get a library card, cold medicine, and public assistance. I will continue to implement common sense reforms that protect the electoral process and increases citizens’ confidence in the results of our elections," he said in the statement. "Ensuring the integrity of our elections is one of the core functions of government. Photo ID moves Wisconsin forward."
And then to face the added hurdle of having to re-locate a birth certificate after many years . . . Some people are going to decide it's not worth the trouble.
Valid student IDs from an accredited college in Wisconsin, with the student' signature and a two year expiration date are acceptable.
"it's a hassle to get if you have no transportation, have limited time to waste in line at the DMV, or are in poor health like my mother." Just like actually going to vote can be a hassle if you "have no transportation, have limited time to waste in line ..., or are in poor health...." And yet, you don't complain about the voting process in and of itself for some reason. Not to mention that if you're doing same day registration, you have to provide proof of residency requiring you to find documentation, brining it along, and presenting it to poll workers. So basically, getting the ID is just like voting. So, if these people are willing and wanting to vote, then what's the big hiccup over getting the ID? After all, if they can vote, then clearly they can get the ID as it's basically the same level of involvement and commitment as actually voting.
And isn’t your side that’s saying that fraud needs to be proven before the Republicans can point to a legitimate problem that the voter ID law aims to rectify? I believe it is. So where is your positive proof that Nickolaus ever committed any kind of fraud? Oh yeah, that’s right – there isn’t any. So stop being a hypocrite and stop going after Nickolaus every time a Democrat loses an election!
The right to freely traverse our national borders is also a right guaranteed by our constitution, however, I don't see you getting all hysterical over the process/procedure involved in getting a passport, which is far more onerous than getting a voter ID. With rights come responsibilities requiring a certain level of individual commitment.
The official title of the picture ID law: The Stone Voter Suppression Act of 2011 This is my own statement, not authorized by law? Bring it on.
I am glad we are finally trying to do something to get back to a real honest election and eliminate fraud... the laws didnt go far enough in my opinion. We still have some of the following things happening... Supposed "get out the vote" works going door to door asking if everyone voted today... and then placing a cell call to "record the answers"... I think it would be a safe bet where those recordings of those voters was cast. Students voting absentee and then also registering in the district they go to school in... bet that NEVER happens. Don't foget the wonderful job the get out the vote crowd did in 2000... more people voted in Milwaukee than were registered.... Wonder if Ms Nocholas was the county clerk in Mke that year?! So with things like these incidents happening... what makes you think it will suddenly stop without changes?
@Keith... Carl Rove with his hand picked DA's? Where did you get that intel? You assert that none was found... the same arguement about disenfranchised voters can be made. While there isnt much reporting about the fraud that is occurning, there is enough to know it is happening. Other than some essoteic refrence to a 92 year old woman being disenfranchised (a URL would be nice to see) i have not heard anything but retoric... My bottom line on voting is this... 1. I want to vote knowing that my voice as well as all other legimate votes voice is heard. 2. Our government needs to really treat voter fraud seriously, because it is serious. 3. Every person who has a right to vote should be able to do so with as little inconvience as possible. But to asset that no level of proof of that right allows fraud. 4. Even one stolen election is one too many... the more we move toward ignorning fraud the more likely it is to happen.
From http://rootriversiren.blogspot.com/2011/02/ufo-sightings-outnumber-cases-of-voter.html "In 2008 the State Justice Department found that out of nearly 3 million votes cast, they were pursuing 14 cases of voter fraud. That same year, there were 40 reported cases of UFO sightings in Wisconsin. In a state like Wisconsin that could easily cost $2.4 million alone.That would mean a price tag of $1.43 million for each case of voter fraud. Wow. "