Wisconsin's Voter ID Law Heads to Trial

Does it discriminate against minorities?

A federal trial to determine whether Wisconsin's controversial voter identification law discriminates against minorities is scheduled to begin on Monday in a case seen as a possible precedent for similar laws in other states.

Voter ID laws—which require government-issued identification before voting—have become a political and racial flashpoint across the United States. Democrats generally oppose the measures and many Republicans back them.

The trial in Milwaukee combines two federal lawsuits filed on behalf of dozens of individual voters by several organizations including the League of United Latin American Citizens, Milwaukee Area Labor Council and the American Civil Liberties Union.