The voter ID law in Wisconsin, which seen numerous Democrat-led challenges since its implementation, was described by The Associated Press’ (AP) Christina A. Cassidy and Ivan Moreno as “insurmountable for many voters,” in 2017. The story chronicled a handful of prospective voters who were unable to vote, with the piece emphasizing the alleged disenfranchisement of these voters.
NPR’s Pam Fessler wrote in 2011 that one “big problem” with Wisconsin’s voter ID law was “all the paperwork required to get” a free ID for voters who do not have another form of identification.
But a new report from the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty found that the state’s voter ID law has not had a negative impact on voter turnout since its implementation. Data show that turnout has actually increased by 1.5% since the law went into effect.
“By analyzing decades of election data both before and after Wisconsin implemented Voter ID, we found a general rise in voter turnout, rather than the widespread disenfranchisement that critics often suggest,” Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty Research Director Will Flanders said. “Any claims suggesting Voter ID is ‘voter suppression’ are merely political scare tactics aimed at undermining faith in Wisconsin’s elections. Furthermore, it’s worth exploring whether Voter ID can actually increase turnout by strengthening confidence in Wisconsin’s election system.”
