 |
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
WISCONSIN VOTER ID TRIAL NEARS CONCLUSION
WPR News - Wisconsin voter ID trial nears conclusion
|
|
Thursday April 19, 2012
by Shawn Johnson
|
|
|---|
|
(MADISON) The courtroom trial in one of the cases challenging Wisconsin's voter ID law could wrap up Thursday. (4/19) Testimony this week has been heavy on numbers.
The lawsuit by the NAACP includes several sworn affidavits from voters who say the new law made it difficult or expensive to get a state ID or driver's license to vote. But despite that human element to the case, testimony has been dominated by expert witnesses armed with statistics to make their points.
Wednesday, (4/18) state lawyers defending voter ID called University of Georgia professor M.V. Hood to testify, partly to compare Wisconsin's voter ID law with Georgia's. Hood said his research showed worries that Georgia's voter ID law would drive down minority turnout never materialized, "Just in general, black turnout in Georgia goes up from 72 to 76 percent from '04 to '08 across those presidential election years."
But NAACP attorney Richard Saks said Hood's analysis neglected to mention that 2008 was a banner year for black turnout nationwide, with President Obama on the ballot. He also noted that Hood's report neglected to mention that Georgia's voter ID law was less restrictive than Wisconsin's, "Nowhere in your expert report do you address the fact that the photo ID law in Georgia was substantially different because it permitted voters to vote absentee without a photo ID requirement."
Attorneys for both sides indicated they could be done Thursday. The judge in this case already issued a temporary halt to the law--at issue now is whether he makes that court order permanent.
A judge in another voter ID lawsuit has issued a permanent injunction. Both cases will head next to a state appeals court.
|
| You can also listen to this story or download it now! |
 |
 |
(1:34) |
|
|
|
