Breaking this afternoon. Good news: 220,000 or more
current voters will not be wrongly disinfranchised and wrongly prevented from voting in the next election.
Quote:
Dane County Circuit Judge David Flanagan issued an injunction today temporarily barring the implementation of Wisconsin's new Voter ID law. The injunction means the new rules will not be in effect for the April 3rd presidential primary and local elections.
The ruling (pdf) indicates that the judge relied heavily on testimony from UW professor Kenneth Mayer, a respected expert on election laws who is firmly non-partisan. Mayer estimated that at least 220,000 otherwise eligible Wisconsin voters lack an approved form of identification stipulated by the law.
The first thing that struck me about the ruling was the reminder that in order to receive a temporary injunction, the parties must be able to show that they are likely to win the permanent injunction. The temporary injunction is proof that the judge expects the plaintiffs to prevail.
Quote:
Comments from Judge:
2011 Wisconsin Act 23 imposes a substantial burden on constitutionally qualified voters.
There is no evidence of voter fraud that would have been prevented by Act 23*.
The Act 23 photo identification requirement is a notably inflexible process.
...voters who do not possess a drivers license are disproportionately elderly, indigent, or members of a racial minority
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You can read the original ruling PDF via link here:
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/0...aw?via=siderec
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