DETROIT (AP) — A federal judge has declined to dismiss a lawsuit over Michigan’s ban on straight-party voting, setting up a trial that will center on whether the law violates the rights of blacks.
The decision Friday wasn’t a big surprise. U.S. District Judge Gershwin Drain already had expressed concern and suspended the ban before the 2016 election.
Straight-party voting means making a single mark on a ballot to pick candidates of one party. It’s been available in Michigan for more than a century. But Republicans, including Gov. Rick Snyder, say the ban will inspire voters to do their homework instead of simply choosing a party.
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