Wisconsin Voter ID Law Struck Down By Federal Judge Lynn Adelman

Wisconsin's voter ID law keeps Afro-American, Hispanics and poor from voting because they would most likely lack proper birth documents to get a state issued ID to vote, according to federal Judge Lynn Adelman.

By H. Nelson Goodson

April 29, 2014

Milwaukee, WI - Another blow to the GOP (Republican) controlled Wisconsin legislature and Governor Scott Walker (R), on Tuesday U.S. District Judge Lynn Adelman ruled in a 90-page ruling that the Wisconsin Voter ID Act 23 Law, which was passed in May 2011 was unconstitutional and burden minorities and poor from getting IDs to vote. Judge Adelman determined that the Republican controlled legislature wrongly passed a law that would keep minorities (Afro-American and Hispanics) and poor from getting their state issued IDs because it would be most likely they could not acquire proper birth documents to apply for a state ID.

Judge Aldelman wrote, "First, I give an overview of the relevant provisions of Act 23. Second, I address the Frank plaintiffs' claim that Act 23 violates the Fourteenth Amendment because it imposes substantial burdens on the many eligible voters who do not currently possess photo IDs, and because such burdens are not justified by the state interests that Act 23 purports to serve. Third, I address the plaintiffs' claim that Act 23 violates Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act because it has a disproportionate impact on the voting rights of Blacks and Latinos."

The lawsuit was filed by the Wisconsin American Civil Liberties Union, the League of United Latin American Citizens and multiple residents of the state.

The state ID law took effect in a 2012 primary and was later declared unconstitutional by a Dane County judge in another lawsuit.

In press release, Wisconsin Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen (R) issued the following statement in response to the decision released by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin in the case of Ruthelle Frank, et al. v. Scott Walker, et al. and League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) of Wisconsin, et al. v. David G. Deininger, et al. "I am disappointed with the order and continue to believe Wisconsin's law is constitutional.  We will appeal," Van Hollen stated.

Judge Lynn Adelman's decision and order (PDF).