Wisconsin voters approved a state referendum question Tuesday, adding a section to the state constitution requiring voters to provide photo identification.
With 39% of the votes in at 8:45 p.m., 60.6% of Wisconsinites voted “yes” to the referendum question.
The question, placed on the ballot by Republican lawmakers, is worded as follows:
“Photographic identification for voting. Shall section 1m of article III of the constitution be created to require that voters present valid photographic identification verifying their identity in order to vote in any election, subject to exceptions which may be established by law?”
The referendum, put forth by the Republican-controlled state Legislature, will enshrine Wisconsin’s current voter ID law in the state constitution, making it difficult for the Wisconsin Supreme Court, which currently has a liberal-leaning majority, to invalidate the law.
Republican lawmakers passed the voter ID law after they gained control of the state Legislature in 2011. Making voter ID a constitutional requirement would make it impossible for Democrats to overturn the requirement if they win majorities in the state Assembly and Senate.
