Notice of Referendum Election

 

APRIL 1, 2025

 

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that at an election to be held in the several towns, villages, wards, and election districts of the State of Wisconsin, on Tuesday, April 1, 2025, the following question will be submitted to a vote of the people pursuant to law:

 

2025 SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION 2

 

To create section 1m of article III of the constitution; relating to: requiring photographic             identification to vote in any election (second consideration).

 

Whereas, the 2023 legislature in regular session considered a proposed amendment to the constitution in 2023 Senate Joint Resolution 73, which became 2023 Enrolled Joint Resolution 9, and agreed to it by a majority of the members elected to each of the two houses, which proposed amendment reads as follows:

 

           Section 1. Section 1m of article III of the constitution is created to read:

 

[Article III] Section 1m (1)  No qualified elector may cast a ballot in any election unless the elector presents valid photographic identification that verifies the elector’s identity and that is issued by this state, the federal government, a federally recognized American Indian tribe or band in this state, or a college or university in this state.  The legislature shall by law establish acceptable forms of photographic identification, and the legislature may by law establish exceptions to the requirement under this subsection.

 

(2)  A qualified elector who is unable to present valid photographic identification on election day shall be permitted to cast a provisional ballot.  A provisional ballot may not be counted unless the elector presents valid photographic identification at a later time and place as provided by the legislature by law.

 

           Section 2.  Numbering of new provision.  If another constitutional amendment ratified by the people creates the number of any provision created in this joint resolution, the chief of the legislative reference bureau shall determine the sequencing and the numbering of the provisions whose numbers conflict.

 

           Now, therefore, be it resolved by the senate, the assembly concurring, That the foregoing proposed amendment to the constitution is agreed to by the 2025 legislature; and, be it further

Resolved, That the foregoing proposed amendment to the constitution be submitted to a vote of the people at the election to be held on the first Tuesday of April 2025; and, be it further

Resolved, That the questions concerning ratification of the foregoing proposed amendment to the constitution be stated on the ballot as follows:

 

Question 1: “Photographic identification for voting. Shall section 1m of article III of the constitution be created to require that voters present valid photographic identification verifying their identity in order to vote in any election, subject to exceptions which may be established by law?”

 

 

EXPLANATORY STATEMENT AS TO THE QUESTION

 

The Wisconsin Constitution provides that “[o]nly a United States citizen age 18 or older who is a resident of an election district in this state is a qualified elector of that district who may vote in an election for national, state, or local office or at a statewide or local referendum.” Wis. Const. art. III, § 2.  The referendum question would add a new provision to Wis. Const. art. III to require that voters present valid photographic identification to exercise their rights as electors.

 

The proposed constitutional text would provide that acceptable photographic identification must be “issued by this state, the federal government, a federally recognized American Indian tribe or band in this state, or a college or university in this state.” The proposal therefore would exclude identification such as out-of-state driver’s licenses and tribal identification issued by non-Wisconsin tribes.

 

The proposal would allow, but not require, the legislature to create exceptions to the identification requirement. Courts have held that some exceptions are required by the U.S. Constitution. The proposal would also prevent future legislatures from repealing statutory photographic identification requirements altogether.

 

A “yes” vote would vote to create a new article III, section 1m of the Wisconsin Constitution to require voters to present “valid photographic identification” in order to vote.

 

A “no” vote would vote not to create the new constitutional provision.

 

DONE in the __City__ of _____Washburn_____,

 

this ___27th_____ day of _____March___, 2025.

 

 

__________________________________________

      Lynn M. Divine, Bayfield County Clerk