Wisconsin Question 1, Require Voter Photo ID Amendment (April 2025)

Wisconsin Question 1
Election date April 1, 2025
Topic Voter ID policy
Status Approved
Type Legislatively referred constitutional amendment	Origin State legislature

Wisconsin Question 1, the Voter Photo ID Amendment was on the ballot in Wisconsin as a legislatively referred constitutional amendment on April 1, 2025. It was approved.

A "yes" vote supported amending the state constitution to: require a valid photo ID to vote and  allow the state legislature to define what qualifies as a valid photo ID and provide exceptions to the requirement.

A "no" vote opposed adding a valid photo ID requirement for voting to the Wisconsin Constitution.

Election results

Wisconsin Question 1
Result		Votes	Percentage
Yes		1,437,317	62.79%
No		851,851	37.21%

Results are officially certified.

Source

Overview

How did Question 1 relate to the state's existing photo ID law?

See also: Wisconsin voter photo identification law

At the time of the election, Wisconsin law required photo identification to vote. This measure added that requirement to the Wisconsin Constitution. By adding the requirement to the Wisconsin Constitution, Question 1 effectively raised the threshold to make changes to the requirement by requiring another constitutional amendment approved by voters, whereas changes to state law require simple majorities in the state legislature.

ACLU of Wisconsin opposed adding the requirement to the constitution, saying, "If the proposed constitutional text is enacted as currently drafted, the legislature would be precluded from permitting additional categories of photo identification for voting purposes in the future, such as an ID for a federally recognized tribe outside of Wisconsin; an out-of-state driver’s license or identification card; employer IDs; a membership or organization ID; or municipal IDs. The permanency of a constitutional amendment also ties the hands of the legislature to respond to future advancements in technology as methods of identification evolve."

State Rep. Rob Kreibich (R-28), who supported Question 1, said that adding the requirement to the state constitution secures it from future legal challenges. Kreibich said, "For clarification, photo ID is already required by Wisconsin State Statute. But a ‘yes’ vote would amend the Wisconsin Constitution to include this requirement, which will further protect the integrity of the voting system from our leftist-activist WI Supreme Court."

The state law was challenged in two separate lawsuits but upheld by the conservative majority of the Wisconsin Supreme Court during its 2013-2014 term. Wisconsin voters also elected a new justice to the court during the April 2025 election to replace retiring Justice Ann Walsh Bradley, a Democratic member of the court. Democrats won a 4-3 majority on the court following the 2023 election of Justice Janet Claire Protasiewicz.

What did Question 1 do?

See also: Text of measure

Question 1 added the state's voter photo identification requirement to the state constitution. The amendment required photo identification issued by the federal or state government, by a federally recognized American Indian tribe or band in Wisconsin, or by a college or university in the state. The amendment authorized the Wisconsin State Legislature to pass laws to establish acceptable forms of photo identification and exceptions to the requirements. Voters who do not provide a valid form of photo identification on Election Day are able to cast a provisional ballot and provide a valid form of photo identification at a later time in accordance with state law for the ballot to count.

At the time of the election, Wisconsin required voter photo identification via state law. By adding it to the state constitution, the threshold to make changes or remove the requirement is higher than a legislative majority by requiring voter approval of another constitutional amendment to do so. As of 2025, state law required the following forms of photo identification to vote:

• Wisconsin driver's license,
• ID card issued by a U.S. uniformed service,
• Wisconsin nondriver ID,
• U.S. passport,
• Certificate of naturalization issued not more than two years before the election,
• ID card issued by a federally recognized Indian tribe in Wisconsin,
• Student ID card with a signature, an issue date, and an expiration date no later than two years after the election, or
• Photo ID card provided by the Veteran's Health Administration.

Who supported and opposed the amendment?

See also: Support and Opposition

All voting Republicans voted in favor of the amendment during both legislative sessions, while all voting Democrats voted against the amendment. Sen. Van Wanggaard (R-21), one of the sponsors of the amendment, said, "I don’t think there’s anything wrong with saying that (you have to) have something to identify who you are and that you’re really that person and that you’re eligible to vote."

ACLU of Wisconsin, All Voting is Local Action Wisconsin, Disability Rights Wisconsin, League of Women Voters of Wisconsin, Wisconsin Council of the Blind and Visually Impaired, and Wisconsin Democracy Campaign opposed the amendment. Lisa Hassenstab, the public policy manager at Disability Rights Wisconsin, said, "A number of Wisconsin residents who have a disability don’t drive, they don’t have a driver’s license, they may not have other photo ID required to vote. Positioning the DMV as the primary place for Wisconsinites to get a photo ID increases barriers for a number of people."

How many states had voter photo identification requirements at the time of the election?

See also: Voter identification laws by state

As of 2025, 35 states required voters to present identification in order to vote at the polls on Election Day, but many states provide exceptions to these rules. Of these states, 23 required voters to present identification containing a photograph, with certain exceptions, and 12 states did not explicitly require photo identification. The remaining 15 states did not require voters to present identification in order to vote at the polls on Election Day.

Between 2004 and 2024, voters in nine states decided on 10 ballot measures related to voter identification. Eight measures were approved, and two — in Arizona and Minnesota — were rejected. Six states added a photo ID voter requirement to their respective state constitutions, and two states (Arizona and Oklahoma) passed statutory requirements.

Text of measure

Ballot question

The ballot question was as follows:

“

Shall section 1m of article III of the constitution be created to require that voters present valid photographic identification verifying their identity in order to vote in any election, subject to exceptions which may be established by law?

”

Constitutional changes

See also: Article III, Wisconsin Constitution

The ballot measure added Section 1(m) to Article III of the Wisconsin Constitution. The following underlined text was added:

Section 1m (1) No qualified elector may cast a ballot in any election unless the elector presents valid photographic identification that verifies the elector’s identity and that is issued by this state, the federal government, a federally recognized American Indian tribe or band in this state, or a college or university in this state. The legislature shall by law establish acceptable forms of photographic identification, and the legislature may by law establish exceptions to the requirement under this subsection.

(2) A qualified elector who is unable to present valid photographic identification on election day shall be permitted to cast a provisional ballot. A provisional ballot may not be counted unless the elector presents valid photographic identification at a later time and place as provided by the legislature by law.

Support

Supporters

Officials

• President of the United States Donald Trump (R)
• State Sen. Van Wanggaard (R)
• State Rep. David Armstrong (R)
• State Rep. Rob Kreibich (R)
• State Rep. Scott Krug (R)
• State Rep. Dave Maxey (R)
• State Rep. Patrick Snyder (R)

Arguments

• State Rep. Rob Kreibich (R-28): "For clarification, photo ID is already required by Wisconsin State Statute. But a ‘yes’ vote would amend the Wisconsin Constitution to include this requirement, which will further protect the integrity of the voting system from our leftist-activist WI Supreme Court."
• Rep. Patrick Snyder (R-85): "If we wait on something like this, then (the court) could rule that the photo ID is unconstitutional, and then it would be a harder time."
• Sen. Van Wanggaard (R-21): "I don’t think there’s anything wrong with saying that (you have to) have something to identify who you are and that you’re really that person and that you’re eligible to vote."
• State Rep. Amanda Nedweski (R-32): "This is about making sure that a rogue Court cannot strike down a common sense law that is supported by over 80% of Americans from across the political spectrum, so rather than trying to scare Wisconsinites with outlandish claims of voter suppression, and rather than assuming that Wisconsin voters are not smart enough to obtain an ID, I encourage our colleagues… to actually look at the data."
• State Rep. Scott Krug (R-72): "Let the legislators argue about the different details of it throughout the next few years or decades to figure out what the exceptions should be, what IDs we want to use. And that opens conversation for us to figure out exactly what the future of photo ID can be -- whether it's digital, whether we have different implementation of different IDs. That leaves it open for us to have that discussion."

Opposition

Opponents

Officials

• State Sen. LaTonya Johnson (D)
• State Sen. Kelda Roys (D)
• State Rep. Andrew Hysell (D)
• State Rep. Lee Snodgrass (D)

Organizations

• ACLU of Wisconsin
• All Voting is Local Action Wisconsin
• Disability Rights Wisconsin
• Ex-Incarcerated People Organizing (EXPO) of Wisconsin
• Grassroots North Shore
• League of Women Voters of Wisconsin
• Voces de la Frontera Action
• Wisconsin Conservation Voters
• Wisconsin Council of the Blind and Visually Impaired
• Wisconsin Democracy Campaign
• Wisconsin Justice Initiative

Arguments

• Lisa Hassenstab, the public policy manager at Disability Rights Wisconsin: "A number of Wisconsin residents who have a disability don’t drive, they don’t have a driver’s license, they may not have other photo ID required to vote. Positioning the DMV as the primary place for Wisconsinites to get a photo ID increases barriers for a number of people."
• ACLU of Wisconsin: "If the proposed constitutional text is enacted as currently drafted, the legislature would be precluded from permitting additional categories of photo identification for voting purposes in the future, such as an ID for a federally recognized tribe outside of Wisconsin; an out-of-state driver’s license or identification card; employer IDs; a membership or organization ID; or municipal IDs. The permanency of a constitutional amendment also ties the hands of the legislature to respond to future advancements in technology as methods of identification evolve."
• State Rep. Andrew Hysell (D-48): "The amendment makes it clear: You can be a qualified elector and be deprived of your right to vote. Think about the implications of this. The Korean war veteran, in his 90s, disabled and living in Iron County, would clearly be a qualified elector. However, he’s homebound, his license has expired and therefore he does not have a valid ID. This patriot who fought for our country would be denied his right to vote under this Republican voter ID amendment."
• State Rep. Lee Snodgrass (D-52): "I think it's something that we have proven. It's already state law and my position is that we are essentially wasting everybody's time by adding this to the ballot. I think we've had five of these already, so it's a pattern and it's a politically motivated pattern."

Campaign finance

See also: Campaign finance requirements for Wisconsin ballot measures

The campaign finance information on this page reflects the most recent scheduled reports that Ballotpedia has processed, which covered through February 10, 2025. The deadline for the next scheduled reports was March 24, 2025.

Ballotpedia did not identify any committees registered to support or oppose the amendment.

	Cash Contributions	In-Kind Contributions	Total Contributions	Cash Expenditures	Total Expenditures
Support	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00
Oppose	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00
Total	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00

Background

Wisconsin voter photo identification law

In 2011, the Wisconsin State Legislature passed a law to require voter photo identification to vote. As of 2025, state law required one of the following forms of photo identification to vote:

• Wisconsin driver's license,
• ID card issued by a U.S. uniformed service,
• Wisconsin nondriver ID,
• U.S. passport,
• Certificate of naturalization issued not more than two years before the election,
• ID card issued by a federally recognized Indian tribe in Wisconsin,
• Student ID card with a signature, an issue date, and an expiration date no later than two years after the election, or
• Photo ID card provided by the Veteran's Health Administration.

The above forms of identification must contain a photo and have the voter's name listed identically to the voter roll.

If a voter does not have a valid form of photo identification, the law allows voters to vote with a provisional ballot. The voter must provide a valid form of photo identification for the provisional ballot to count to the election inspectors before the polls close or to the municipal clerk before 4 p.m. on the Friday after Election Day.

The law was challenged in two separate lawsuits but upheld by the conservative majority of the Wisconsin Supreme Court during its 2013-2014 term. In Milwaukee Branch of the NAACP v. Walker, the court found that the photo identification requirement was a reasonable regulation of elections and not a severe requirement. In League of Women Voters v. Walker, the court ruled that the law did not violate the state constitution's restrictions on the types of election laws the legislature may pass.

Ballot measures related to voter identification

See also: Voter ID policy ballot measures

Ballot measures related to voter identification are on the ballot in Maine, Nevada, North Carolina, and Wisconsin for elections in 2025 and 2026. Nevada Question 7 needs to be approved a second time in 2026 after it was approved in 2024. Three measures are constitutional amendments, as opposed to statutory requirements. Constitutional amendments require voter approval, which is a higher threshold to enact or change them than statutory requirements that can be changed by a legislative vote. The Maine initiative is a statutory requirement.

State	Year	Ballot Measure	Type	Status
Nevada	2026	Nevada Question 7	Initiated constitutional amendment	On the ballot
North Carolina	2026	North Carolina Require Voter Identification Amendment	Legislatively referred constitutional amendment	On the ballot
Maine	2025	Maine Question 1	Indirect initiated state statute	On the ballot
Wisconsin	2025	Wisconsin Question 1	Legislatively referred constitutional amendment	Approved

Between 2004 and 2024, voters in nine states decided on 10 ballot measures related to voter identification. All but two measures in Arizona and Minnesota were approved. Six states added a photo ID voter requirement to their respective state constitutions, and two states (Arizona and Oklahoma) passed statutory requirements. The average "yes" vote was 67.42%. The table below lists the measures by state, year, and type.

State	Year	Measure	Type	Yes (%)	No (%)	Status
Arizona	2004	Proposition 200	Statutory	55.64%	44.36%	a
Arizona	2022	Proposition 309	Statutory	49.62%	50.38%	d
Arkansas	2018	Issue 2	Constitutional	79.47%	20.53%	a
Minnesota	2012	Amendment 2	Constitutional	46.16%	53.84%	d
Mississippi	2011	Initiative 27	Constitutional	62.07%	37.93%	a
Missouri	2016	Amendment 6	Constitutional	63.01%	36.99%	a
Nebraska	2022	Initiative 432	Constitutional	65.45%	34.55%	a
Nevada	2024	Question 7	Constitutional	73.23%	26.77%	a
North Carolina	2018	Voter ID Amendment	Constitutional	79.47%	20.53%	a
Oklahoma	2010	Question 746	Statutory	74.34%	25.66%	a
Average				64.85%	35.15%

Voter identification laws by state

See also: Voter identification laws by state

As of June 2025, 36 states required voters to present identification in order to vote at the polls on Election Day, but many states provide for exceptions to these rules. Of these states, 25 required voters to present identification containing a photograph, with certain exceptions, and 11 states did not explicitly require photo identification. The remaining 14 states did not require voters to present identification in order to vote at the polls on Election Day.

In the map below, states that require registered voters to present identification at the polls on Election Day or that require poll workers to request identification from a vote are classified as states requiring identification. Some of these states provide for exceptions to these requirements. See the table below the map for more details. Follow the links provided for additional information about voter identification in each state.

Several states that do not require identification generally require first-time voters to present identification at the polls. Other states that don't generally require identification may require it if the voter did not provide proper identification to register. Federal law requires newly registered voters to provide either a driver's license number or the last four digits of their Social Security Numbers at the time of registration. Many states that require identification allow voters to cast provisional ballots if they do not have the required identification. Hover over each state in the map below for more details.

Path to the ballot

Amending the Wisconsin Constitution

See also: Amending the Wisconsin Constitution

A simple majority vote is required during two legislative sessions for the Wisconsin State Legislature to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot. That amounts to a minimum of 50 votes in the Wisconsin State Assembly and 17 votes in the Wisconsin State Senate, assuming no vacancies. Amendments do not require the governor's signature to be referred to the ballot.

2023-2024 legislative session

The amendment was introduced as Senate Joint Resolution 73 (SJR 73). The Wisconsin State Senate approved the amendment by a vote of 21-10 on November 7, 2023. The Wisconsin State Assembly amended and approved SJR 73 by a vote of 62-35 on November 9, 2023.

Wisconsin State Senate

Voted on November 7, 2023

Votes Required to Pass: 17
	Yes	No	NV
Total	21	10	2
Total %	63.6%	30.3%	6.1%
Democratic (D)	0	10	1
Republican (R)	21	0	1

Wisconsin State Assembly

Voted on November 9, 2023

Votes Required to Pass: 50
	Yes	No	NV
Total	62	35	2
Total %	62.6%	35.4%	2.0%
Democratic (D)	0	35	0
Republican (R)	62	0	2

2025-2026 legislative session

The amendment was introduced as Senate Joint Resolution 2 (SJR 2). The Wisconsin State Senate approved the amendment by a vote of 17-15 on January 8, 2025. The Wisconsin State Assembly approved SJR 2 by a vote of 54-45 on January 14, 2023.

Partisan Direction Index = +100.0% (Republican)

Democratic Support

0.0%

Republican Support

100.0%

How does this vote compare to other legislative ballot measures in 2025?
Learn more about the ballot measures PDI →

Wisconsin State Senate

Voted on January 8, 2025

Votes Required to Pass: 17
	Yes	No	NV
Total	17	15	1
Total %	51.5%	45.5%	3.0%
Democratic (D)	0	15	0
Republican (R)	17	0	1

Wisconsin State Assembly

Voted on January 14, 2025

Votes Required to Pass: 50
	Yes	No	NV
Total	54	45	0
Total %	54.5%	45.5%	0.0%
Democratic (D)	0	45	0
Republican (R)	54	0	0

How to cast a vote

See also: Voting in Wisconsin

See below to learn more about current voter registration rules, identification requirements, and poll times in Wisconsin.

How to vote in Wisconsin

Poll times

In Wisconsin, polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Central Time. An individual who is in line at the time polls close must be allowed to vote.

Registration

Check your voter registration status here.

To register to vote in Wisconsin, one must be a citizen of the United States and a resident of Wisconsin for at least 28 days prior to the election. A voter must be at least 18 years of age by Election Day.

Prospective voters can register online or by mailing a form to their municipal clerk. If registering by mail, the application must be postmarked no later than 20 days before the election. In-person registration must be completed by 5 p.m. on the Friday before Election Day. Prospective voters can also register in person at their municipal clerk's office up until the Friday before the election or at their polling place on Election Day. (Same-day voter registration requires proof of residency.)

Automatic registration

Wisconsin does not practice automatic voter registration.

Online registration

See also: Online voter registration

Wisconsin has implemented an online voter registration system. Residents can register to vote by visiting this website.

Same-day registration

Wisconsin allows same-day voter registration.

Residency requirements

Wisconsin law requires 28 days of residency in a precinct before a person may vote.

Verification of citizenship

See also: Laws permitting noncitizens to vote in the United States

Wisconsin does not require proof of citizenship for voter registration. An individual must attest that they are a U.S. citizen when registering to vote. According to the state's voter registration application, a voter who provides false information "may be subject to fine or imprisonment under State and Federal laws."

All 49 states with voter registration systems require applicants to declare that they are U.S. citizens in order to register to vote in state and federal elections, under penalty of perjury or other punishment. Seven states — Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, New Hampshire, and Wyoming — have laws requiring verification of citizenship at the time of voter registration, whether in effect or not. In three states — California, Maryland, and Vermont — at least one local jurisdiction allows noncitizens to vote in some local elections. Noncitizens registering to vote in those elections must complete a voter registration application provided by the local jurisdiction and are not eligible to register as state or federal voters.

Verifying your registration

The site My Vote, run by the Wisconsin Election Commission, allows residents to check their voter registration status online.

Voter ID requirements

Wisconsin requires voters to present photo identification while voting.

The following list of accepted ID was current as of May 2023. Click here for the Wisconsin Secretary of State's page on accepted ID to ensure you have the most current information.

• Wisconsin Department of Transportation-issued driver license, even if driving privileges are revoked or suspended
• Wisconsin Department of Transportation-issued identification card, with or without a photo
• Military ID card issued by the U.S. Uniformed Services
• U.S. passport book or card
• Identification card issued by a federally recognized Indian tribe in Wisconsin (can be expired or unexpired)
• Photo identification card issued by a Wisconsin accredited university or college, or technical college, containing the date the card was issued and a signature. (If expired, the voter must also provide a separate document proving enrollment).
• Veteran's photo ID card issued by a government authority
• Certificate of naturalization issued within the past two years
• Driver’s license receipt issued by Wisconsin Department of Transportation (valid for 45 days from date issued)
• Identification card receipt issued by Wisconsin Department of Transportation (valid for 45 days from date issued)
• Wisconsin Department of Motor Vehicles ID Petition Process Photo Receipt (valid for 60 days from date issued)

The following voters do not need to provide photo ID:

• Confidential electors
• Active military and permanent overseas voters who vote by absentee ballot
• Indefinitely confined voters who vote by absentee ballot

Voters can obtain a free Wisconsin State ID Card at a Wisconsin Division of Motor Vehicles office. Voters need the following to apply for an ID:

• Proof of name and date of birth (birth certificate)
• Proof of identity (Social Security Card, Medicaid/Medicare Card, etc.)
• Proof of Wisconsin residency (utility bill, government mail, lease, etc.)
• Proof of U.S. citizenship (U.S. Birth certificate or citizenship paperwork)
• Social Security Number

Voters who do not have all or any of the materials listed above can still obtain an ID. Call the voter ID hotline for assistance at (844) 588-1069.

See also

2025 ballot measures

View other measures certified for the 2025 ballot across the U.S. and in Wisconsin.

• 2025 ballot measures
• Wisconsin 2025 ballot measures
• Wisconsin elections, 2025

Wisconsin ballot measures

Explore Wisconsin's ballot measure history, including constitutional amendments.

• List of Wisconsin ballot measures
• Wisconsin Historical Ballot Measures Factbook
• Voter ID policy ballot measures
• Wisconsin State Legislature

Legislative process

Understand how measures are placed on the ballot and the rules that apply.

• Legislatively referred constitutional amendment
• Wisconsin Constitution
• Amending state constitutions

External links

• Wisconsin Senate Joint Resolution 73

Footnotes

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