Wisconsin's League of Women Voters chapter is "delighted" by the ruling of a federal judge on Friday striking down parts of the state's voter ID law and restrictions on early voting, said the state group's executive director, Andrea Kaminski.
"We ... never felt that this law was needed," Kaminski said. "We never felt that it addressed any problem or solved any problems in our elections."
The ruling came on a "stunning" day, she said, pointing to a separate voter ID ruling in North Carolina and a decision in a Kansas case about federal registrants.
Kaminski said she believes the courts agree with her opinion that the laws are hurting elections by keeping eligible citizens from the polls and aren't serving any positive function.
The Wisconsin ruling won't take effect until after the Aug. 9 partisan primary due to the difficulty of making the necessary changes in time, Kaminski said. As for the general election in November, what the ruling means is unclear.
"We don't know," she said. "That's up to the courts ... but we certainly hope that the ruling will hold through the election and beyond."
Wisconsin Attorney General Brad Schimel's office said it plans to appeal the ruling.
Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, said the decision was "a liberal judge’s attempt to undermine our elections less than four months out." He also said it was an attempt to oust the state Legislature's power.
But the Wisconsin Legislature overstepped its authority when the voter ID laws were passed, according to Kaminski.
"These laws deal with a fundamental right of citizenship," Kaminski said. "We feel that voting is a fundamental citizen right which must be guaranteed."