Assembly committee holds hearing on constitutional amendment to require photo ID for voters

MADISON — The Assembly Campaigns and Elections Committee held a public hearing on Assembly Joint Resolution 1, a proposal to amend the Wisconsin Constitution to require valid photographic identification to vote, the committee announced at the start of the session. Representative Snyder, who authored the measure, said the amendment is intended to "ensure that the people of Wisconsin have full confidence in the security and integrity of Wisconsin's elections." The proposal would place the voter-ID requirement in the state constitution; if adopted by two successive legislatures and ratified by voters it would appear on the April 2025 ballot.

The measure's proponents told the committee enshrining the requirement would protect public confidence and guard against voter impersonation, which they described as a real — if rare — threat. Opponents, including voting-rights advocates, municipal election officials and disability-rights groups, said the requirement already exists in statute and that changing the constitution risks making access harder for some eligible voters.

Representative Snyder testified that Wisconsin's existing voter ID law has been "widely successful in preserving election integrity and, ensuring that citizens are confident that their ballots cast are legitimate," and he urged lawmakers to "let the people decide" by…