Judge dismisses lawsuit from Tennesseans fearful of voter suppression over party ballots
Voters will see signs at the polls March 5 reminding them they must be a "bona fide" member of a political party in order to vote in that party's primary election.
Voter advocates hoped to use a federal lawsuit to force Tennessee to take down the signs, but the suit was dismissed March 4 - hours before the polls opened for the Super Tuesday primary.
A new law passed in May requires polling places to inform voters it's illegal to cast a ballot in a partisan primary election without being a "bona fide" member of that political party. But the law doesn't define what "bona fide" means.
Former Knoxville Mayor Victor Ashe thinks the signs are meant to intimidate voters. Ashe, a Republican, sued the state with Democrat Phil Lawson and the League of Women Voters of Tennessee. They argued the law would confuse voters and deter them from casting a ballot in the partisan primary. They say there's no legal mechanism to determine whether a voter has "bona fide" party credentials or not.
Ashe has been critical of his party in his Knox News column and said he was fearful he could be prosecuted for selecting a GOP ballot. He's worried his criticism of his peers could outweigh his Republican credentials, which include being elected and appointed to various positions as a Republican.
Judge Eli Richardson wrote in the dismissal that Ashe, Lawson and the League of Women Voters' argument can't be applied because they're unable to prove the law actually confuses and suppresses voters.
Ashe told Knox News he's disappointed. He thinks the law will deter voters from heading to the polls to publicly declare their party March 5, which they must do to receive a ballot.
"This law causes confusion and suppresses voter turnout," Ashe said. "Obviously, turnout March 5 is going to be less than it was in the last two statewide primaries. I think this may have been a contributing factor."
Tennessee's primary elections are open, meaning any voter can select any ballot at the polls. Voters can select different party ballots in different election years.
Knox County Elections Administrator Chris Davis told Knox News in order for a voter to be investigated over party membership, three poll workers would have to agree before the voter casts a ballot that the person is not a "bona fide" member of that party. Poll workers are a mix of Republicans and Democrats, and Davis said it would be difficult for workers to agree on a conclusion.
Election Day is March 5 and polls are open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. For more information, check out Knox News' voter guide.
Allie Feinberg reports on politics for Knox News. Email her: allie.feinberg@knoxnews.com and follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, @alliefeinberg.
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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Judge dismisses Tennessee lawsuit over voter suppression allegations
