A lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the heavily contested Wisconsin Voter Identification Law was filed in Dane County Circuit Court yesterday.
Brought by The League of Women's Voters of Wisconsin Educational Network, the suit claims the law violates the rights of low-income voters under the state constitution.
The Voter Identification Law requires voters to present valid state identification at polling places in order to gain entry. Valid identification is limited to documentation obtained from the state that includes a date of birth, a signature and a valid expiration date.
Under the Wisconsin State Constitution, legislators are only permitted to restrict the voting rights of convicted felons and those deemed ""incompetent."" The lawsuit claims that the Voter ID law oversteps that legal boundary.
According to a spokesperson from The Women's Voters of Wisconsin Educational Network, the law disenfranchises voters who lack the resources to obtain state IDs.
""The people most likely to be disenfranchised by the new law are those who not only do not currently have an ID, but those who will find it difficult to get one before upcoming elections... the elderly, the disabled, low-income people and students,"" she said.
In response to the lawsuit, Gov. Scott Walker released a statement claiming that the provisions defend the state's electoral integrity.
""Requiring photo identification to vote is common sense—we require it to get a library card, cold medicine and public assistance,"" Walker said.
