Dear Editor: Our rights as voters are under attack. The proposed proof of citizenship requirement can now be added to the long list of attempts to suppress votes.

Proof of citizenship is not only unnecessary, it amounts to voter disenfranchisement. Wisconsin voters already swear to their citizenship under penalty of perjury. From 2012 to 2022, out of more than 31 million votes cast, Wisconsin Watch and the Wisconsin Election Commission found only three cases of noncitizen voting.

Despite this overwhelming evidence that voter fraud is virtually nonexistent, a Waukesha judge ordered that the Wisconsin Election Commission verify the citizenship of all 3.6 million registered voters. The state has appealed, and the order is currently on hold. Meanwhile, the federal Election Assistance Commission has proposed requiring a U.S. passport, Real ID, or other government-issued proof of citizenship to register to vote.

These requirements would create major obstacles. Only about half of American citizens have passports, and 69 million do not have a birth certificate listing their current legal name. Eligible voters who would struggle to provide these documents include members of the military, families displaced by natural disasters, and Americans who have changed their names, including most married women

We should not impose additional hurdles on millions of eligible voters in Wisconsin to fix a problem that barely exists. Adding burdensome requirements will suppress participation, particularly among marginalized communities, and threaten the very foundation of our democracy. Voting is a right, not a privilege, and Wisconsin must protect it. Find the article HERE.

Sinceree Dixon

Communications manager, League of Women Voters of Wisconsin