who favor Democrats are more likely to be harmed by such laws.
The Arkansas Supreme Court confirmed the decision of an appeals court Wednesday and overturned the state’s strict voter ID law on a 7-0. Since the grounds for reversal related solely to a violation of the Arkansas Constitution, chances are the decision will not likely be subject to review by the U.S. Supreme Court.
In May, Pulaski County Circuit Judge Tim Fox had ruled that the state legislature’s AB 595, passed in 2013, had imposed a new voter qualification on citizens that exceeded those included in the state constitution. That law required that voters present a photo ID when they cast their ballots or fill out a provisional ballot and present proof of their identity by Monday after the election. The American Civil Liberties Union, which filed the complaint, said at least a thousand ballots went uncounted in the primary election as a result of the law. Democratic Gov. Mike Beebe had vetoed the law, but the legislature overrode his decision.
The Supreme Court majority agreed with Fox. The state constitution includes only four qualifications for voting: U.S. citizenship, state residency, an age of 18 or more, and being duly registered. Emma G. Fitzsimmons reports:
“These four qualifications set forth in our state’s Constitution simply do not include any proof-of-identity requirement,” the ruling said.
The ruling was written by Associate Justice A concurring opinion, written by Associate Justice Courtney Hudson Goodson, agreed that the law should be struck down, but for a different reason. Justice Goodson wrote that the law failed to receive a two-thirds majority vote in the Legislature, which was a requirement to amend laws “initiated by the people,” she argued.
The decision could have an impact on the midterm elections just three weeks away. The close contest between Democratic Sen. Mark Pryor and Republican challenger Tom Cotton might be affected since voter ID laws tend to cut into turnout of minorities, young people, and the poor more than other citizens, and they tend to vote for Democrats more than Republicans. Arkansas is one of a handful of battleground states that will determine whether Democrats keep their Senate majority.
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