Wisconsin Assembly Approves Voter ID Amendment

The Wisconsin State Assembly has passed a proposal to amend the state constitution to enshrine existing voter ID requirements, which will appear on the April 1 ballot for voter consideration. This measure, supported exclusively by Republicans, aims to solidify the strict photo ID law already in place, which proponents argue enhances election security. However, opponents, including Democrats and voting rights advocates, contend that the amendment disproportionately affects marginalized groups and serves as a means of voter suppression, rather than addressing fraud. The proposal's swift advancement follows a political strategy to secure the law before a potential shift in the state Supreme Court's balance after the upcoming elections. If approved, the constitutional amendment would make the voter ID requirement considerably harder to repeal in the future. Regardless of the outcome, the current voter ID law, established in 2011, would remain in effect.