Wisconsin bar asks DOJ to investigate new voter identifcation law

The Wisconsin state bar has asked the U.S. Department of Justice to review the state's new voter identification law, citing concerns that the law could disenfranchise thousands of voters.
Sally Stix, chair of the Wisconsin state bar, noted that she was concerned that the law could deter votes of the young, the poor and minorities.

She cited a 2005 University of Wisconsin study that found 59% of Hispanic women and 55% of African-American men in the Milwaukee area lacked a valid state-issued photo ID. She also noted that while Wisconsin's motor vehicle department was supposed to issue no-cost IDs to help voters comply with the law, agency employees were not doing enough to make sure prospective voters get the free cards. She also added that the documents required to receive the free IDs included birth certificates which were not free, possibly harming voters who would be unable to pay.