(MADISON) – On Friday, three separate federal courts issued significant election law rulings, including one in a Wisconsin case.
In that case, a circuit court judge tossed out many election laws intended to discriminate against young voters, including a 28-day residency requirement and one that doesn’t allow expired but otherwise valid student ID’s to be used for voting.
The law also threw out Republican efforts to limit early voting, which would have its biggest impact in Milwaukee, the state’s largest and most diverse city. Most notably, the judge specifically singled out the restrictive law’s impact on voting in Milwaukee.
Additionally, a three judge panel of the 4th circuit federal appeals court ruled North Carolina election laws written by Republicans discriminate against African American voters.
The ruling blocked provisions in a 2013 North Carolina law that required certain photo IDs to vote, limited early voting, eliminated same day registration, ended out-of-precinct voting and prohibited preregistration of young voters. A third court in Kansas struck down a requirement of proof of citizenship to vote. After the rulings, Sen. Taylor released the following statement:
“We’ve known all along these Republican laws are intended to discriminate. I am glad that several courts have finally acknowledged that restrictive discriminatory voting laws are meant to keep people from exercising their right to vote.
These same legislators pledge allegiance to the United States of America and promise liberty and justice for all.
Instead, they’ve rigged election laws so Republicans can stay in the majority.
These court decisions are a ruling for justice and against racist and discriminatory election laws.”
