FACT CHECK: No, Illegal Immigrants Aren’t Being Sent To Wisconsin To Receive ‘Free ID For Voting’

Anna Mock | Fact Check Reporter

A video shared on X claims the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) is providing illegal immigrants in Wisconsin with a “free ID for voting.” 

Verdict: False

A free ID for voting is reserved for U.S. citizens who will be at least 18 years old by the next election, a WisDOT spokesperson told Check Your Fact in an email.

Fact Check: 

A Republican candidate in Wisconsin’s U.S. Senate race, Eric Hovde, has said that he doesn’t mind elderly people voting, after a divisive comment about elderly people voting, according to The Hill. His initial comment was based on hearing reports of people wondering how severely ill people in nursing homes were able to cast votes, the outlet reported.

An X video shows a man reading off of screenshots from the WisDOT website, claiming that illegal immigrants are being “sent to Wisconsin” to receive freed IDs for voting despite not having citizenship.

The claim is inaccurate, however. The program is reserved for U.S. citizens only. A page resembling one of the screenshots on the WisDOT website reads, “​U.S. Citizens can get a free ID for voting even if you do not have the documentation to get a regular Wisconsin ID​.” (RELATED: Are There Laws That Criminalize Giving Food And Drinks To Voters In Line At The Polls?)

Another page on the site specifies that even if U.S. citizens can receive a free voting ID even if they don’t have all of the following documents, “Proof of Name and Date of Birth, Proof of Identity, Wisconsin Residency and Proof of U.S. Citizenship.” The site says to “bring what you have to the DMV” and that you must be a U.S. citizen and at least 18 years of age by the next election to qualify.

“Wisconsin does not have a ‘voter ID.’ Many forms of identification are allowed at the polls,” a WisDOT spokesperson told Check Your Fact in an email. “A driver license or ID card are the most common forms of ID that can be used at the polls in Wisconsin. A free ID for voting is only open to U.S. citizens who will be at least 18 years of age by the next general election. There are documentation requirements to prove the applicant is who they say they are.”

The spokesperson mentioned a source from the Wisconsin Elections Commission listing acceptable forms of photo ID allowed for voting.

There are no credible news reports to corroborate the claim. Additionally, the video was posted by Wall Street Apes, who has “Conspiracy Theorist” in bio. 

Anna Mock

Fact Check Reporter

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