Chancellor Rules State Not in Contempt for First-Time Voter Law - Articles

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Chancellor Rules State Not in Contempt for First-Time Voter Law

Posted by: Kate Prince on Jul 14, 2020

Davidson County Chancellor Ellen Hobbs Lyle on Tuesday denied an attempt by the American Civil Liberties Union and Memphis law firm Apperson Crump to hold the state in contempt for making first-time voters cast ballots in person, the Daily Memphian reports. The ACLU and Memphis attorneys argued the state was violating an order from Lyle to expand absentee voting by continuing to require first-time voters who registered by mail or online to vote in person the first time they vote. Lyle ruled that the groups had not explicitly asked her to block that law, but will allow them to request to amend her ruling. The first-time voter requirement is also being challenged in federal court, but time is running out to make a change before the July 30 deadline to request an absentee ballot for the Aug. 6 primary election.