Major Wins on the Voter Suppression Front: Judge Restores Early Voting in Ohio

This has been a great week for those on the front line defending voter's rights.  As reported by Talking Points Memo a federal judge in Ohio on Friday restored early voting rights in the three days before the election, ruling in favor of the Obama campaign.  

On Thursday  CBS News reported that a federal court has ruled against a Texas law that would require voters to present photo IDs to election officials before being allowed to cast ballots in November.   

On Wednesday civic groups and Florida voters scored a decisive victory when a federal judge indicated he will permanently remove controversial restrictions on community-based voter registration drives. 

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On Tuesday a redistricting plan signed by Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) intentionally discriminated against Hispanic voters, a three-judge panel unanimously ruled.  The three judges said they were overwhelmed with the amount of evidence showing the congressional redistricting plan was intentionally discriminatory, writing in a footnote that parties “have provided more evidence of discriminatory intent than we have space, or need, to address here.” 

On Monday  a federal court in DC began hearing a week-long trial to decide whether South Carolina’s new voter ID law violates the Voting Rights Act. The Department of Justice objected to the law last December under Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act, finding that South Carolina had failed to prove that the measure would not disenfranchise minority voters.  We hope that this case follows suit.

This has been a great week.  There much more to do but let's take a moment to celebrate what is right and just.