Arkansas Supreme Court upholds revised voter ID law

Arkansas’ highest court has upheld 5-2 a voter ID law that is nearly identical to a restriction struck down by the court four years ago.

The state Supreme Court on Thursday upheld a measure that requires voters to show photo identification before casting a ballot. A state judge earlier this year blocked officials from enforcing the restriction, but justices stayed that ruling and kept the law in place while they considered the case.

Opponents of the measure had argued that it circumvents a 2014 ruling striking down a previous voter ID law.

Arkansas officials say the new measure complies with part of the decision that said it needed at least two-thirds approval in both chambers of the Legislature to become law.

The Arkansas decision came one day after a Missouri Circuit Court judge ruled that state election officials there can no longer spread materials that indicate voters must provide a photo ID in order to cast a ballot.

The ruling effectively blocked a portion of Missouri’s voter identification law one month before November’s midterm elections.

Also on Wednesday, the Supreme Court declined to toss out an appeals court order that allows North Dakota to enforce its voter ID requirement during the 2018 elections.

• Wire services