Civil Rights Groups Will Ask For Full Appeals Court To Hear Voter ID Case

The American Civil Liberties Union and the Washington, D.C. -based Advancement Project say they’ll ask the full federal appeals court in Chicago to hear the case over Wisconsin’s voter ID law, and not just a panel of judges.

Three Republican-appointed judges issued an unsigned order last Friday that reinstated the law, merely hours after hearing oral arguments in a legal challenge. ACLU of Wisconsin Executive Director Chris Ahmuty said the three-judge panel took a narrow focus.

“They really were not focused on evaluating the decision of (U.S. District Judge Lynn Adelman) at the district court. They were more interested in, ‘Hey, we’re on the eve of an election. How can we get this in place?’” said Ahmuty.

Ahmuty said that meanwhile, advocacy groups that oppose voter ID should continue to try to tell people they may need a photo ID at the polls in November. Anita Johnson of Citizen Action of Wisconsin said she’s ready to re-connect with black churches in Milwaukee.

“My community does not often read the newspaper or listen to the news. They don’t keep up with current events. Someone has to update them,” said Johnson.

Johnson spread the word at many black churches prior to the February 2012 election, the only one so far for which the 2011 voter ID law has been in effect.

Walker’s re-election campaign declined comment on the ACLU’s new legal push against the voter ID law. The campaign instead pointed to a statement released from the governor’s office, which repeated Walker’s message from the past few days that the panel’s ruling makes it easier to vote and harder to cheat.