Judge Dismisses Suit Aimed at Ending Same-Day Registration.

Posted at 12:13 PM on August 17, 2012 by Tom Scheck
Filed under: Campaign 2012, MN Legislature, Mark Dayton, Voter ID Amendment

A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit that would have ended same-day voter registration in Minnesota.

A group of 7 citizens, and the conservative groups the Minnesota Voters Alliance and the Minnesota Freedom Council filed the lawsuit challenging the state's same-day registration system because they said ineligible voters cast ballots in the 2008 and 2010 elections.

But Judge Donovan Frank ruled that the groups failed to allege a violation of federal law, failed to point to any election misconduct and failed to exhaust their claims in state court. Secretary of State Mark Ritchie, a Democrat, and other Democratic leaning groups praised the decision because it will ensure same-day registration in November.

The ruling comes as the Minnesota Voters Alliance is pushing for a constitutional amendment to require people to present a photo ID to vote. Ritchie says the amendment goes further than that and would end same-day voter registration in Minnesota - a claim pro-amendment groups deny.

Here's the ruling:

12cv519ord081712

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