subject: About Wisconsin's Photo ID for Voting [print this page] About Wisconsin's Photo ID for Voting About Wisconsin's Photo ID for Voting
Traditionally, Wisconsin is amongst the easiest states where citizens can cast a vote. However, everything indicates that, if approved, the Senate Bill 6 will completely change this scenario as it requires voters to shoe a photo identification card issued by the State at the polls before they are allowed to cast their ballot. Those legislators who support this measure agree on saying that the aim of this new policy is to prevent voter's fraud and prevent identity theft.
However, the Senate Bill 6 may have a negative side effect: it may discourage voter turnaround and participation in Wisconsin, one of the 50 states of the United States of America with the highest participation in elections.
As the National Council of State Legislatures reports, 27 states require at present to present some kind of identification at the voting place. Of these, 19 of them let their citizens present any variety of identification badges and in only 8 they have to present an identification card with an updated picture.
Nowhere in the United States will a citizen be prevented from casting his or her vote if he cannot present an identification card. In fact, if the Senate Bill 6 is passed, it may make Wisconsin the first State to do so as it only accepts a photo identification card issued by the State as a legal document to cast a vote. If a Wisconsin citizen cannot produce one, then he will not be allowed to vote.
Lots have still to be discussed regarding this matter. Preventing voter's fraud is important, of course, but statistics show that it is not serious at all in Wisconsin.
