Ritchie: Act Quickly On Voter ID Case

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP)— Minnesota Secretary of State Mark Ritchie is urging the state Supreme Court to act quickly on the lawsuit challenging the validity of a ballot question that seeks to make photo identification a requirement for voting.

In a letter Monday to the chief justice, Ritchie said it would be ideal to have a decision by Aug. 21 and necessary by Aug. 27 so fall ballots can be printed in time to accommodate people who vote absentee.

The court will hear arguments in mid-July on a lawsuit that challenges the proposed amendment as misleading. Amendment supporters regard the case as a longshot effort to derail it.

If the amendment is blocked but too late, voters could see it on November ballots anyway. Under that scenario, local election officials could be ordered not to count the votes.

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