Federal appeals court tells district court to reconsider ruling on ACLU lawsuit on voter ID law

MADISON -- A federal appeals court in Chicago opened the door on Tuesday, April 12th to people who face stiff obstacles in obtaining photo identification and are challenging certain parts of Wisconsin's voter ID law.

The Seventh Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals ordered a federal district judge to reconsider an earlier ruling that upheld the voter ID law. The judge must this time do a better job addressing the plaintiffs' argument, the appeals court said.

The American Civil Liberties Union is now challenging certain aspects of the law after an earlier failure to strike it down entirely. The ACLU's attorneys argue that some people should be allowed to bypass the photo ID requirement by signing sworn statements that they fit certain hardship categories.

The three categories are:

The ACLU agreed to drop a fourth category after the state Legislature amended the law to allow veterans to use their identification cards to vote.

Tuesday's ruling does not strike down any part of the state's voter ID law, and the entire law is currently in effect.

Other that the categories in question, most of the law is settled. The ACLU and the National Law Center for Homelessness and Poverty had sued the state in 2011. The Seventh Circuit appeals court upheld the entire law in 2014.

CLICK HERE to read the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals ruling in this case.