Voter fraud in Wisconsin is virtually non existent, yet the public
doesn’t object to the establishment of laws to ensure against it. Professor Joe
Heim, the legislative liaison at UW-L, says “It’s a solution waiting for a
problem.”
People without proper identification often are the young, old,
minority, and low income. For this reason, students are a target for this
legislation. Heim explains that some lawmakers believe young people don’t have
the capacity to make an informed decision when voting.
The majority of the public has no problem with the voter ID law.
Heim explains that most people reason that ID’s are necessary for driving and
cashing checks, so why not for voting as well?
Heim believes that voting, unlike cashing checks or driving a car,
is a right, not a privilege.
In Wisconsin, 30% of people have no ID or an ID that is invalid.
Drivers licenses that do not have a photo on them are considered invalid.
Heim states, “We should encourage
voting without asking about their [voters] motives, that’s my opinion.”
The voter ID legislation was passed by Republicans after Democrats
unanimously voted against the bill.
