Court rulings in three separate states – Nebraska, Alabama and Georgia – have reversed or halted controversial measures that would have limited the ability to vote in the upcoming United States election.
The trio of decisions comes as the November 5 general election approaches in a matter of weeks. An array of local, state and national offices will be on ballots across the country, including the race for the presidency.
The rulings also underscore the myriad battles for voting access in the US.
In Alabama, one judge took action against an apparent effort to purge the voter rolls. In Nebraska, another judge upheld the right to vote for those who have completed their felony sentences. And in Georgia, a court declared new rules unconstitutional that would have allowed election results to be more easily contested.
Some of the efforts struck down on Wednesday are a result of persistent election misinformation.
Former President Donald Trump, the current Republican candidate for the presidency, has long claimed – falsely – that the US elections are marred by fraud, sowing doubt in the accuracy of the results.
Trump has used this argument to question his defeat to Democrat Joe Biden during the 2020 presidential race. Some Republican officials have responded by seeking restrictive measures they say are needed to protect against election malfeasance.
On Wednesday, however, voting rights groups hailed the raft of court decisions as victories for Americans’ constitutional rights.
“In a win for Alabama voters, a federal court has BLOCKED Alabama’s illegal voter purge program targeting naturalized citizens,” the Campaign Legal Center wrote on the social media platform X.
The group was among those challenging the voter-roll purge in the southern state.
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