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 The American Civil Liberties Union and other groups challenging
the law asked the court to overturn a U.S. appeals court order in
September that they said, coming weeks before the election, would
sow confusion at the polls and reduce votes.
"Chaos in an election - especially when entirely preventable - is
undemocratic," the ACLU filing said.
Wisconsin's law is one of several similar voter ID rules that have
become a political and racial flashpoint across the United States.
Wisconsin and other states have argued they need such rules to
prevent voter fraud. A state response is due by 5 p.m. EDT on
Tuesday.
Also on Thursday, attorneys for the state of North Carolina asked
the U.S. Supreme Court to stay a U.S. appeals court ruling that
blocked parts of a new state voting law. A response to the request
is due by 5 p.m. EDT on Sunday.
The appeals court ruled that same-day registration should be
restored in North Carolina and provisional voting reinstated for
voters casting ballots outside their normal precincts.
The Arkansas Supreme Court heard arguments on Thursday in an appeal
over a state court judge's ruling that state photo ID requirements
were unconstitutional.
The challenge to the Wisconsin law also follows a U.S. Supreme Court
order on Monday that cut back on early voting hours in Ohio. The
court voted 5-4 along ideological lines to put on hold a federal
judge's ruling that had restored hours cut by a new Ohio law.
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In Wisconsin, a federal judge enjoined the state's voter ID law in
March 2012 shortly after it took effect and entered a permanent
injunction in April, finding it would deter or prevent a substantial
number of voters who lack photo identification from casting ballots
and place an unnecessary burden on the poor and minorities.
The appeals court said in its order that Wisconsin had put in place
new procedures that make it easier for people to obtain birth
certificates or other documents they need to acquire free state
identification cards.
Wisconsin's Supreme Court upheld the voter ID law in a separate
ruling.
(Reporting by David Bailey in Minneapolis and Lawrence Hurley in
Washington; Editing by Lisa Von Ahn and Peter Cooney)
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