ACLU Comment on Petition for Full Appeals Court Review on Wisconsin Voter ID
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: 212-549-2666, media@aclu.org
CHICAGO — The American Civil Liberties Union filed a petition late last night asking that its challenge to Wisconsin’s voter ID law be considered by the full Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals. A three-judge appeals panel reinstated the voter ID law last Friday after hearing oral arguments earlier in the day. The ACLU had presented arguments asking the court to uphold an April 29 federal court ruling striking down the law as unconstitutional and in violation of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act.
The following is a statement from Dale Ho, director of the ACLU’s Voting Rights Project, on its petition for an en banc hearing:
“The decision allowing this law to take effect this close to the election is a recipe for disaster. Hundreds of absentee ballots have already been cast, and the panel’s ruling will create chaos in election administration, resulting in voter confusion and disenfranchisement. The risks of imposing such last-minute disruption are why courts have uniformly cautioned against eleventh-hour changes to election law. We are asking the full appeals court to rehear this case because the voters of Wisconsin deserve every opportunity to cast their ballots free of obstruction.”
A copy of the petition is here:
https://www.aclu.org/voting-rights/frank-v-walker-emergency-petition-rehearing-and-suggestion-rehearing-en-banc-panel
The ACLU, the ACLU of Wisconsin, the National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty, and Dechert LLP are co-counsel in this case, Frank v. Walker.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: 212-549-2666, media@aclu.org
CHICAGO — The American Civil Liberties Union filed a petition late last night asking that its challenge to Wisconsin’s voter ID law be considered by the full Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals. A three-judge appeals panel reinstated the voter ID law last Friday after hearing oral arguments earlier in the day. The ACLU had presented arguments asking the court to uphold an April 29 federal court ruling striking down the law as unconstitutional and in violation of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act.
The following is a statement from Dale Ho, director of the ACLU’s Voting Rights Project, on its petition for an en banc hearing:
“The decision allowing this law to take effect this close to the election is a recipe for disaster. Hundreds of absentee ballots have already been cast, and the panel’s ruling will create chaos in election administration, resulting in voter confusion and disenfranchisement. The risks of imposing such last-minute disruption are why courts have uniformly cautioned against eleventh-hour changes to election law. We are asking the full appeals court to rehear this case because the voters of Wisconsin deserve every opportunity to cast their ballots free of obstruction.”
A copy of the petition is here:
https://www.aclu.org/voting-rights/frank-v-walker-emergency-petition-rehearing-and-suggestion-rehearing-en-banc-panel
The ACLU, the ACLU of Wisconsin, the National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty, and Dechert LLP are co-counsel in this case, Frank v. Walker.
Stay Informed
Every month, you'll receive regular roundups of the most important civil rights and civil liberties developments. Remember: a well-informed citizenry is the best defense against tyranny.
By completing this form, I agree to receive occasional emails per the terms of the ACLU’s privacy policy.
The Latest in Voting Rights
-
New Motions Filed in Lawsuit Challenging Georgia’s Omnibus Anti-Voter Law Seek to Defend Against Racial Discrimination and Remove Barriers to Absentee Voting
-
Voting and Immigrants’ Rights Advocates Sue Over New Florida Law That Targets Voter Registration, Civic Engagement, and Political Speech
-
Honoring the Past, Paving the Future: Enhancing Voter Registration
-
Here's How Georgia's New Voting Law Harms Voters With Disabilities
ACLU's Vision
The American Civil Liberties Union is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to every person in this country by the Constitution and laws of the United States of America.
Learn More About Voting Rights
Voting is the cornerstone of our democracy and the fundamental right upon which all our civil liberties rest. The ACLU works to protect and expand Americansʼ freedom to vote.