A lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of a controversial new voter registration law is heading to trial next August, according to a recent court order.
The law in question, known commonly as Senate Bill 3, adds tougher penalties for people who fail to provide certain kinds of documentation showing they live where they’re trying to vote.
Supporters say it’s a modest safeguard to protect against voter fraud, but critics say its penalties act as a deterrent that would disenfranchise otherwise lawful voters.
The parties involved in the case will also check in at a status conference in April 2018. If the bench trial proceeds on schedule, that would leave only a narrow window between the legal proceedings and the state primary in September 2018, or the general election two months later.
The lawsuit challenging SB3 is funded in part by Priorities USA Action, a super PAC that supported President Obama and Hillary Clinton’s respective presidential campaigns.
