A ruling last month by a federal judge allows some challenges to the state’s Voter ID law to continue while upholding portions of the law that have already been ruled constitutional.
U.S. District Judge James Peterson’s decision refused to address a general challenge to the law because it was ruled constitutional in 2014. But, he also said that One Wisconsin Institute’s contention that the law makes it harder for people to vote because of a limited list of acceptable ID’s and a reduction in early voting hours, a story at jsonline.com reads.
Currently, the online photo ID’s accepted at the polls are:
- Wisconsin driver’s licenses and state-issued ID cards
- Military IDs
- Passports
- Tribal IDs
- Naturalization certificates
- College IDs as long as they list an expiration date with a two-year time period, and the student can produce proof that they are enrolled in school
One Wisconsin wants to expand the list and increase the availability of early voting because they say the changes unfairly burden citizens who vote Democratic, the story continues. Residents used to have three weeks – including three weekends – to vote prior to an election, but that was reduced in 2011 to two weeks and one weekend before being cut further in 2013 to to 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays only.
Peterson did not state whether he believes One Wisconsin is right or wrong, just that the determination can’t be made at this stage of the game.
“Whether Wisconsin’s restrictions have actually burdened Democratic voters, and if so, to what degree, is a question of fact that cannot be resolved at the pleading stage,” his opinion is quoted.
Voters were required in April to show a photo ID when they cast ballots in their local, general elections.
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