Some of you might be aware that the Republican government in WI recently passed a voter ID law. The law requires that people have a government issued photo ID with a current address on it to be able to vote. The law takes effect next year and will affect about 11% of voters in the state. It is part of a nationwide campaign by Republicans to enact similar laws.
Colbert makes fun of it here:
http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colber ... er-id-laws
This will most seriously affect the poor, minorities, students, and those who frequently move, such as apartment dwellers. Not coincidentally, those people strongly lean Democrat in their voting preferences. This alone is probably going to swing elections a few points in favor of Republicans and go a long way towards a muti-pronged approach by the party in the state to reduce Democratic votes.
Prior to this law, it cost money to get an ID. But that would then mean people would have to pay to be able to register to vote. That sounds like a poll tax, which is unconstitutional. The legislation, however, prevented this by making it so the government has to issue free ID's at DMV's. Even though the law disproportionately affects minorities, that should give a decent chance of passing constitutional muster. While it might be easier for some people than others to collect the necessary paperwork and get down to the DMV to get an ID, therefore creating an unequal burden in registering to vote, at least it's no more complicated than that.
Then in an act of balls-to-the-wall evil, the Walker administration announced it was shutting down a bunch of DMV's in strongly Democratic areas for efficiency reasons and offered to compensate by extending hours in DMV's in Republican areas. No joke.
There was some backlash over this and now, for whatever reason, the decision has been reversed.
http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financia ... TEI1O0.htm
If the act went through, it definitely would've been an argument used by the plantiffs in arguing the law is unconstitutional, but on the plus side something so blatantly awful isn't going through. Yay?!