A trial is scheduled to start tomorrow in a fight over the Michigan Republican-led Legislature’s attempted ban on straight ticket voting.
Secretary of State Ruth Johnson had wanted the suit dismissed, but a Detroit Federal court judge ruled against her.
The suit contend a 2015 law to eliminate straight-ticket voting would diminish the voice of African-American voters.
GOP lawmakers have denied any racial motivation for eliminating the straight-ticket option, which allows voters to quickly cast a ballot for all members of a political party as opposed to voting for individual candidates.
In approving the law, supporters claimed it would encourage voters to pay more attention to the candidates they support.
Michigan voters have had the straight-ticket option for 126 years and have twice repealed laws that attempted to have it eliminated.