Core Principles for Voter Photo ID

The Government Accountability Board staff recommends the following core principles be considered for guiding the development of Wisconsin’s Voter Photo ID legislation.  The Photo ID legislation should:

• Make clear the purpose and legislative intent of the legislation;
• Ensure the most vulnerable (non-traditional) voters are not disenfranchised;
• Make Photo IDs free and accessible to voters;
• Offer an alternative (a certificate or an affidavit in lieu of a Photo ID) for Wisconsin residents who object to being photographed based on religious, historical or cultural grounds, i.e. Native Americans; and,
• Provide a sufficient amount of time between passage of the Photo ID legislation and effective implementation date to accommodate training of local election officials and educating the public.