In the News

Wisconsin’s Democratic congressional delegation urged the U.S. Department of Justice on Monday to consider a legal challenge to the state’s voter ID law or joining ongoing litigation against it.

 

The letter to U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch cites reports of long lines at polling places in Wisconsin’s April 5 primary — the first high-turnout statewide election in which the state’s voter ID requirement was in place.

 

It also points to reports of “troubling statements by individuals closely connected to the state Legislature’s consideration of the law indicating that its passage may have been motivated, at least in part, by a desire to reduce youth and minority participation in elections.”

 

The latter may be a reference to two recent public statements — the first coming from Republican Congressman Glenn Grothman, who said the Republican presidential nominee has a chance to win Wisconsin this year because “photo ID is going to make a little bit of a difference.”

 

The other came from former state Senate GOP staffer Todd Allbaugh, who recounted sitting in on closed-door meetings of Republican lawmakers during the voter ID debate in 2011 in which he said “a handful of GOP senators were giddy about the ramifications and literally singled out the prospects of suppressing minority and college voters.” At least one Republican lawmaker who participated in those meetings, Sen. Van Wanggaard, denied any recollection of hearing such comments.

 

The letter to Lynch was signed by U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin of Madison and U.S. Reps. Ron Kind of La Crosse, Gwen Moore of Milwaukee and Mark Pocan of Black Earth.

 

Until this year, Wisconsin’s voter ID law largely has been on hold due to court challenges filed shortly after its adoption in 2011.

 

A pair of challenges to the requirement still are working their way through the courts, with at least one of them expected to be back before a judge later this month.

 

The other will be back in court soon after a federal appeals court recently sided with groups arguing Wisconsinites who face “daunting obstacles” to meet the state’s voter ID requirement should be able to vote without an ID.