Outrageous Claims In Meritless Voter ID Lawsuit

WASHINGTON, Feb. 23, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Two days after election officials reported there were no problems with the implementation of the voter ID law in Wisconsin, three liberal organizations have launched an outrageous attack on voter ID laws in court.  The Advancement Project, the League of Young Voters and the Milwaukee Area Labor Council, are reportedly filing a lawsuit today alleging that the voter ID law violates Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act and citing a study about numbers of Wisconsin residents without identification. 

Republican National Lawyers Association Chair David Norcross stated, "The Advancement Project's voter ID lawsuit is just the latest development in the far left, anti-democracy and divisive campaign funded by George Soros.  The 'study' is filled with outrageous accusations that have no bearing on reality.  Similar and less outrageous studies have already been debunked in the past.  Voter ID laws have already been successfully implemented in Wisconsin and across the country.  Even liberal Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens writing for the majority of the Supreme Court found that voter ID laws are not discriminatory, are constitutional and serve an anti-fraud purpose."

Republican National Lawyers Association Wisconsin chapter chair Donald A. Daugherty said, "Over many years, polls have consistently shown that the overwhelming majority of Wisconsin voters favor a law that, like the laws of many other states, requires voter ID.  The reason is legitimate public concern about voter fraud, like that documented in detail, for example, by the Milwaukee Police Department in 2006.  At the same time, Wisconsin remains one of the few states that make it easier to vote through its election day registration process.  Instead of filing meritless lawsuits, Advancement Project and its allies should be advancing open, fair and honest elections in Wisconsin by educating voters about reforms like the new voter ID law."

This lawsuit will be filed two days after the first primary with Wisconsin's voter ID law, held on Tuesday, February 21, 2012, was announced a success.  According to media reports:

Milwaukee Election Commission Executive Director Sue Edman says most voters had their IDs ready Tuesday, and says there were more problems with ballot machines and new redistricting maps than the new Voter ID Law. "For the most part, it's going very, very well.  It's really been the least of our concerns today," Edman said.

Jenna Sachs and Justin Williams, Polls closed, election officials say new Voter ID Law test went well, Fox News, Feb. 21, 2012.  See also Clay Barbour, Voter ID law off to smooth start in Wisconsin, Wisconsin State Journal, Feb. 22, 2012; Jeff Starck, Voter ID law causes no issues in local primary elections, Wausau Daily Herald, Feb. 22, 2012.

The Republican National Lawyers Association is an organization that supports common-sense voter ID laws like those enacted in Wisconsin.

SOURCE Republican National Lawyers Association