LANSING, Mich. (AP) — The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to let Michigan’s new ban on straight-party voting take effect for the November election.
The court on Friday rejected a request by state officials to halt lower court rulings that blocked the Republican-sponsored law signed by Gov. Rick Snyder.
The court’s decision means Michigan voters will still be able to use the popular straight-ticket option, which allows them to support all candidates from one party with a single mark.
In issuing a preliminary injunction, a federal district judge ruled the law would create longer lines and disproportionately burden black voters who are more likely to use the straight-ticket option. The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals denied a request for a stay pending appeal.
Forty other states prohibit straight-party voting.
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