A federal judge will consider next week a request to temporarily block Wisconsin’s voter ID law following reports that the state may have violated a previous court order related to the administration of free identification cards. U.S. District Judge James Peterson has scheduled a hearing for Oct. 12 to consider a motion filed late Tuesday by the liberal group One Wisconsin Institute. Peterson on Friday ordered an investigation into media reports that Division of Motor Vehicles employees had given inaccurate information to people seeking state-issued free IDs for the November election, potentially violating an order from the judge’s July ruling in a broad challenge to voting laws implemented over the last five years. The findings of the DMV investigation are due to the judge by Friday. Peterson said both sides may offer evidence at the Oct. 12 hearing to argue whether the state has complied with his initial order.
Joshua Kaul, an attorney for the plaintiffs, argued the state “does not have — and is incapable of implementing — a functioning safety net for its strict voter ID law.”
Plaintiffs are asking the judge to either temporarily suspend the voter ID law or to order several remedial measures to address issues with the ID petition process (IDPP), which is designed to help people who don’t have the proper documentation obtain IDs.
Attorneys argued the state isn’t ensuring that voters seeking IDs are given credentials promptly and isn’t properly informing the public that temporary voting credentials are to be given to those who enter the IDPP.
Full Article: Federal judge to consider request to suspend Wisconsin’s voter ID law next week | Politics and Elections | host.madison.com.