Gov. Scott Walker downplayed the significance of the city of Madison extending its early voting hours after a federal court ruling overturned restrictions he signed into law.

"For me, my primary focus had been on making sure that it’s easy to vote but hard to cheat," Walker said, adding that he was pleased the state's voter ID requirement was upheld by a federal court of appeals.

"In terms of the other provisions out there, those were some of the things that the Legislature debated on, but our primary focus is on making sure that a strong form of voter ID is in place. At the same time, we make it easy for people to get access to that identification if they’re eligible to vote," he said.

The Madison city clerk's office announced on Thursday it would begin in-person absentee voting for the Nov. 8 general election on Sept. 26, from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. in the City-County Building.