A law requiring Wisconsin voters to show a government-issued photo identification card at the polls has been found consitutional by a state appeals court. The decision issued Thursday by the Fourth District Court of Appeals overturns a March 2012 ruling from Dane County Circuit Court Richard Niess, which had blocked implementation of the law.
The lawsuit was filed by the Wisconsin League of Women Voters, which claimed the law was unconstitutional because it created a new class of people who could be denied the right to vote. The appeals court rejected those arguments, saying there was no evidence to back up claims the law is “burdensome” for voters.
Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen praised the ruling, calling it “an important step toward full vindication of the law.”
AUDIO: Attorney General Van Hollen (:14)
Andrea Kaminsky with the League of Women Voters said the decision was disappointing. She says they are still studying the ruling before deciding whether to file an appeal.
AUDIO: Andrea Kaminsky (:10)
The decision does not mean the voter ID law will be put back in place right away though. An appeal is still pending from a court decision in a separate lawsuit, which also found the requirement was unconstitutional. A pair of challenges in federal court are also still pending.