Federal Judge Orders Update On State Voter ID Education Campaign

A federal judge has ordered Wisconsin officials to update him on what the state’s been doing to educate the public on evolving voter ID requirements.

In July, Western District Court Judge James Peterson ordered the state to educate the public on a petition process for voters who can’t easily obtain a state-issued ID for voting. Peterson said the petition process should function as a “safety net” for people who might not be able to vote otherwise.

In Peterson’s latest order, he told the state to report back to the court on its public education efforts by Thursday, Sept. 22.

The orders are offshoots of a federal case that challenged Wisconsin’s voter ID law and more than a dozen other election-related laws. In that case, Peterson struck down some state laws restricting early voting. Since then, Milwaukee and Madison have both announced extended hours and locations for in-person absentee voting.