Federal Judge Issues Order After Hearing on Failure of Gov. Walker’s Administration to Properly Oversee Voter ID Law

MADISON, Wis. — Today federal Judge James Peterson issued a ruling in response to mounting evidence that the state of Wisconsin is either unable or unwilling to properly administer the state’s voter ID law.

The following are the statements of One Wisconsin Institute Executive Director Scot Ross:

“Today Judge Peterson issued a clear order on the demonstrated failure of Gov. Walker’s administration to properly implement a voter ID law and taking steps to try to keep as many legal voters as possible from being disenfranchised by bureaucratic malfeasance and unscrupulous partisan politics.

“During the trial earlier this year we showed how the Republican controlled legislature passed, and Gov. Walker signed into law, measures intended to make it harder and more complicated, if not impossible, for minorities, senior citizens and students to vote.

“In his decision Judge Peterson wrote that, ‘The evidence in this case casts doubt on the notion that voter ID laws foster integrity and confidence’ and that the ‘… voter ID law is a cure worse than the disease.’

“There has been and continues to be no reason to trust that those who have consistently sought to manipulate the rules on voting to give themselves an unfair advantage would administer laws like the voter ID law in a way that treated fairly the people they don’t want voting.

“We are committed to doing whatever it takes to make sure every legal voter who wants to vote gets that chance in November and that their vote is counted.

“But make no mistake, our fight continues and we will not stop until the laws of our state protect instead of prevent legal voters from exercising their most sacred right in our democracy and having their voices heard.”