In 2008, the United States Supreme Court called “the risk of voter fraud real” and capable of changing “the outcome of a close election,” citing to Wisconsin as one of many states with recent examples of voter impersonation fraud.  In order to combat those risks, Governor Walker signed 2011 Wisconsin Act 23, which imposed photo identification requirements on nearly all voters.

Liberal groups quickly filed suit, challenging Act 23 in four separate court cases – two federal and two state.

The judge in LWV concluded that the presentation of identification was an additional requirement to be a qualified voter beyond those requirements permitted by the Wisconsin Constitution.  We believe that presenting identification is merely a method of establishing that you are, in fact, a qualified voter.  The Court of Appeals agreed with us in this case, reversing the lower court and upholding voter ID.

On July 31, 2014, the Wisconsin Supreme Court affirmed the court of appeals, upholding the constitutionality of Voter ID.  However, the court ordered that DOT officials permit anybody who cannot obtain a birth certificate without cost to be provided a voter ID without that supporting documentation, to avoid the imposition of a poll tax (a fee for voting).