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ACLU files federal lawsuit over Wisconsin's voter ID law
Chicago Tribune ^ | 12-13-11

Posted on 12/13/2011 2:13:06 PM PST by afraidfortherepublic

The American Civil Liberties Union filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday, claiming Wisconsin's new voter identification law imposes a severe burden on the right to vote - the second lawsuit filed in the last two months.

In the lawsuit filed Tuesday in federal court in Milwaukee, the ACLU, the ACLU of Wisconsin and National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty asked the court to declare the law unconstitutional and award plaintiffs their attorneys' fees.

"This lawsuit is the opening act in what will be a long struggle to undo the damage done to the right to vote by strict photo ID laws and other voter suppression measures," said ACLU attorney Jon Sherman in a statement. "Across the nation, legislators are robbing countless American citizens of their fundamental right to vote, and in the process, undermining the very legitimacy of our democracy. We intend to redirect their attention to the United States Constitution."

According to the lawsuit, requiring only certain types of government-issued photo ID imposes a severe burden on voting rights and effectively imposes an unconstitutional poll tax.

Among the defendants named are Gov. Scott Walker and members of the Government Accountability Board, which oversees state elections, and the Department of Transportation, which oversees the Division of Motor Vehicles that issues state IDs.

In an email statement, Walker spokesman Cullen Werwie said the law is constitutional and other states laws with photo ID requirements have been upheld by federal courts.

"Requiring photo identification to vote helps ensure the integrity of our elections - we already require it to get a library card, cold medicine, and public assistance," he said.

(Excerpt) Read more at chicagotribune.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; News/Current Events; US: Wisconsin
KEYWORDS: aliens; voterid
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1 posted on 12/13/2011 2:13:12 PM PST by afraidfortherepublic
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To: afraidfortherepublic
The American Civil Liberties Union filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday, claiming Wisconsin's new voter identification law imposes a severe burden on the right to vote multiple times.

I fixed that first sentence.

2 posted on 12/13/2011 2:15:10 PM PST by E. Pluribus Unum (Holding our flawed politicians to higher standards than the enemyÂ’s politicians guarantees they win)
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To: afraidfortherepublic

I had to show my ID when I voted on a school issue last month. The even ran it through a strip reader.

I was horrified and felt dirty. /s


3 posted on 12/13/2011 2:18:29 PM PST by cripplecreek (Stand with courage or shut up and do as you're told.)
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To: Diana in Wisconsin

Wisconsin ping

8*(


4 posted on 12/13/2011 2:19:34 PM PST by afraidfortherepublic
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To: afraidfortherepublic

The curious thing is that there isn’t a pharmacy in America that will fill a prescription without some type of ID. So we are saying that you don’t need an ID to vote but you need one for drug purchases...which is kinda sad if you think about it.


5 posted on 12/13/2011 2:19:44 PM PST by pepsionice
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To: afraidfortherepublic
According to the lawsuit, requiring only certain types of government-issued photo ID imposes a severe burden on voting rights and effectively imposes an unconstitutional poll tax.

Yeah, it makes stealing an election virtually impossible.

6 posted on 12/13/2011 2:19:59 PM PST by EGPWS (Trust in God, question everyone else)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

I personally think the aclu/s should be declared unconstitutional AND the National Law Center for Homelessness and Poverty unconstitutional also. If someone does not own property and does not pay taxes they shouldn’t be allowed to vote either.


7 posted on 12/13/2011 2:20:54 PM PST by tillacum
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To: afraidfortherepublic

When the Libs say “right to vote” they mean the “right to cheat”. But we already knew this.


8 posted on 12/13/2011 2:21:16 PM PST by Ronin (If we were serious about using the death penalty as a deterrent, we would bring back public hangings)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

“...the Mexican Voter I.D. card has NINE security characteristics, including a fingerprint, a photograph, watermarks and holograms. What is more, in Mexico, the lists of electors that are distributed to political parties include the photo and the full name and address of the electors.”

http://www.electionsquebec.qc.ca/english/news-detail.php?id=609


9 posted on 12/13/2011 2:25:40 PM PST by mo
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To: tillacum
I personally think the aclu/s should be declared unconstitutional AND the National Law Center for Homelessness and Poverty unconstitutional also. If someone does not own property and does not pay taxes they shouldn’t be allowed to vote either.

So do I, however who in CONgress would ever be that bold to take on the commies? None or none in the future.

10 posted on 12/13/2011 2:27:25 PM PST by Digger (If RINO is your selection then failure is your election)
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To: tillacum

Agree. Unfortunately, it is too late. Those with a negative stake in the system will bring the rest down. A strongman will emerge to establish order from anarchy.


11 posted on 12/13/2011 2:37:22 PM PST by Jacquerie (No court will save us from ourselves.)
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To: afraidfortherepublic

ACLU can sue all they want. Voter ID laws have been ruled Constitutional by the SCOTUS.


12 posted on 12/13/2011 2:39:09 PM PST by BradtotheBone (Moderate Democrat - A politician whose voting record leans left and whose vote can be bought.)
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To: pepsionice

You can’t write a check at the grocery or pharmacy or anywhere for that matter without an ID. Yet, you can vote for the most powerful man on earth (or so far) without an ID. ACLU needs to be dismantled and sent to Russia.


13 posted on 12/13/2011 2:40:42 PM PST by Bitsy
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To: afraidfortherepublic

Well, lets do away with driver’s license, library cards, gun permits, hunting license, tax I.D.s, birth certificates (whoops, some have), voter registration period or anything else you can think of the requires identification....actually we should go back to only letting those who are property owners vote...the working and responsible people....why let anyone who can’t read English vote in the first place or anyone who doesn’t pay taxes....who the heck does the ACLU think pays their wages, in part the United States Government does. A Bronx Cheer THLPPpppppppppppppppp to the ACLU!


14 posted on 12/13/2011 2:41:15 PM PST by yoe
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To: afraidfortherepublic

The ACLU’s problem (OK, one of their many problems) is that Wisconsin is in the same judicial circuit as Indiana and the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals has already held Indiana’s voter ID law to be valid. In the Indiana case, Judge Posner pointed out that the lawyers arguing the case had to show photo ID’s to get into the court house.


15 posted on 12/13/2011 2:42:52 PM PST by Mr. Lucky
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To: Bitsy

I have been asked for ID when using a credit card at places like LOWES....and others....sheesh...we KNOW exactly WHAT is going on here.


16 posted on 12/13/2011 2:44:03 PM PST by goodnesswins (Bad planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on mine....)
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To: afraidfortherepublic

Did the ACLU have to show an ID to file the lawsuit?


17 posted on 12/13/2011 2:45:07 PM PST by Zathras
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To: Zathras

Yet no one asks the ACLU the simple question, “Why does voter ID laws disenfranchise the voter?”


18 posted on 12/13/2011 2:51:43 PM PST by EQAndyBuzz (To fix government, we need a rocket scientist. Oh, wait we have one!)
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To: afraidfortherepublic

bkmk


19 posted on 12/13/2011 2:57:16 PM PST by Sergio (An object at rest cannot be stopped! - The Evil Midnight Bomber What Bombs at Midnight)
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To: afraidfortherepublic

Day before this story, I was in the liqour line checking out at a major grocery store chain. I use it because they are a 15 item and under checkout lane and hardly anyone else knows about it.

Black lady in front of me buying a lot of alcohol. Happy person, had NO problem giving the ID to the clerk despite obviously being more than 21 years old.

There is no burden. There is absolutely no extra burden for different races. None. The fact more of a certain group are too lazy to get either a govt ID or drivers’ license does not mean there’s any extra burden on them sipmply for belonging to a certain race of people. If anything it would indicate as a group they are less concerned with getting an ID than other groups of people are.

Nope, they are apoplectic they can’t vote the same way they are doing on the voter recall forms anymore (ie multiple times).


20 posted on 12/13/2011 2:59:23 PM PST by Secret Agent Man (I'd like to tell you, but then I'd have to kill you.)
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