Two Republican lawmakers propose adding voter ID laws to the state constitution
MADISON — Two Republican lawmakers on Wednesday renewed a proposal to amend the Wisconsin Constitution to enshrine state laws that require voters to show identification at the polls, with some exceptions.
Constitutional amendments must be passed by two consecutive legislatures before appearing on voters' ballots for approval, meaning any such change would not go into effect until after the 2024 presidential election.
Wisconsin already has voter identification laws, with some exceptions for military, overseas and permanent absentee voters. Voters who do not have a photo ID can vote a provisional ballot and show their identification to their clerk up to a certain deadline. Absentee voters who request a ballot by mail must provide a photocopy of their identification.
The constitutional amendment, proposed by Rep. Patrick Snyder, R-Schofield, and Sen. Van Wanggaard, R-Racine, would not change the provisional ballot process and any exceptions, but rather spell them out in the state constitution. The Legislature would also retain the ability to make laws to create new exceptions.
"Ensuring the legitimacy of votes in an election is a prerequisite of democratic government. Wisconsin law has required the use of photo identification, with some exceptions under the law, for over a decade and voter ID requirements have consistent support nationwide," the lawmakers wrote in a memo seeking cosponsors.
Democrats and advocacy groups have argued that tightening voter identification laws makes it harder for people to vote, including those with disabilities, the elderly or others without driver's licenses.
"This proposal is part of ongoing Republican efforts to cast doubt and sow mistrust in the safety and security of our elections. Voter ID is already required by law in Wisconsin," Senate Minority Leader Melissa Agard, D-Madison, said in a statement.
The proposal comes as the state Supreme Court's liberal majority could take up a lawsuit aimed at new restrictions on absentee voting and drop boxes in Wisconsin, though the challenge did not target voter identification laws.
The same resolution passed the Assembly last year with a party-line vote, but the Senate never voted on it. Republicans had sought to restrict a law that allowed voters who said they were indefinitely confined to vote absentee without providing an ID — a process more voters used during the COVID-19 pandemic. The move would have allowed Republicans aiming to tighten voting laws to avoid vetoes from Democratic Gov. Tony Evers.
Republicans also proposed putting the requirements into the state constitution in 2011, when the voter ID laws were first signed into law by former Republican Gov. Scott Walker.
Republican lawmakers on Wednesday also reintroduced another constitutional amendment to clarify that only U.S. citizens are eligible to vote in Wisconsin. Currently, the state constitution is written to allow "every U.S. citizen" 18 and older to vote. The Legislature could take it up a second time, and the question could be posed to voters as early as the November general election in 2024.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Republicans propose constitutional amendment to require voter IDs
