Allan Lichtman testifies in federal case that Wisconsin’s voting laws are disriminatory

Recent Wisconsin laws limiting voting hours and requiring people to present photo identification at the polls, taken together, amount to state-sponsored discrimination, a political historian testified Tuesday in federal court.

The testimony from American University political historian Allan Lichtman came near the conclusion of the case brought by a pair of liberal groups and voters challenging more than a dozen voting-related laws signed by Gov. Scott Walker and passed by the Republican-controlled Legislature since 2011. They argue that the laws unconstitutionally restrict the ability of racial minorities, the poor and young people from voting.

Attorneys for the state Department of Justice, which is defending the laws, have argued that high voter turnout disproves concerns over voter suppression and that state workers are diligent about getting free IDs to those who need them. The first defense witness, Cedarburg city clerk Constance McHugh, testified Tuesday that she hadn’t witnessed any problems related to enactment of the various new laws being challenged, including the limits on in-person absentee voting hours and locations.

The trial was expected to conclude by the end of the week, with U.S. District Judge James Peterson issuing a written ruling later.

Much of the case has focused on the process used by the state’s Division of Motor Vehicles to issue free IDs to people who don’t have the proper documentation needed to obtain one. Those challenging the law say minorities are disproportionately trapped in a system that makes it difficult for them to get the IDs because they may not have a birth certificate or may have trouble getting the needed documents. ...