No. Wisconsin law allows a person who is “indefinitely confined because of age, physical illness or infirmity or is disabled for an indefinite period” to become a permanent absentee voter “by signing a statement to that effect.” This law has been on the books for more than 30 years.
Being a permanent absentee voter means the clerk must send the voter an absentee ballot automatically for every election. If a permanent absentee voter fails to return a ballot, the clerk must send the voter a letter giving notice the voter will be removed from the permanent list within 30 days if the voter does not reapply.
When the Legislature passed the Photo ID Law in 2011, it exempted permanent absentee voters from having to provide a copy of their photo ID to receive a ballot. These voters are allowed a substitution under state law where their witness verifies their identity and certifies to that by signing the return envelope. State law requires the witness to verify the name and address of the indefinitely confined voter “in lieu of providing proof of identification.” Wis Stats 6.87(4)(b)2.
The WEC did not encourage anyone to declare themselves indefinitely confined or to claim that status to avoid the photo ID law – it’s actually the opposite. The Wisconsin Supreme Court agreed with the WEC’s guidance about indefinitely confined voters – including that voters could not use it to get out of providing a photo ID. The Court's opinion is attached below.