Voter ID requirement added to the WI state constitution

In April 2025, Wisconsin voters approved a constitutional amendment requiring a government-issued photo ID to cast a ballot in any election. The measure passed with about 53% support statewide, effectively writing into the constitution a rule that had already existed in state law since 2011. This makes it far more difficult for future legislatures or governors to change or repeal the requirement without another statewide vote.

Why it Matters

The amendment doesn’t change how voters check in at the polls, but it locks photo ID into the state constitution permanently. Supporters say this boosts election security; critics note that strict ID rules can disproportionately affect older adults, college students, low-income residents, and women whose identification no longer matches their legal name—a group that makes up roughly one-third of voting-age women nationwide.

Background

Wisconsin first enacted a photo-ID law in 2011, one of the strictest in the country at the time. After several rounds of court challenges, the rule took effect for the 2016 presidential election. In 2023, the Republican-controlled legislature voted to place the question on the ballot. The amendment, ratified by voters on April 1, 2025, adds a single line to the state constitution requiring that “only an individual presenting a valid photographic identification as provided by law may vote.”

Election officials note that free state IDs remain available through the Department of Transportation’s ID for Voting program, and the Wisconsin Elections Commission continues outreach to ensure eligible voters understand documentation rules.

Resources

VoteRiders - Women Lead at the Ballot Box, And Lawmakers Are Trying to Change That
UW Law School - Explainer: The Proposed Voter ID Constitutional Amendment on Wisconsin’s April Ballot
Wisconsin Examiner - Wisconsin voters approve constitutional amendment to enshrine voter ID law