Unanimous Arkansas Supreme Court Rules GOP Voter ID Law Unconstitutional

With the 2014 midterm elections just weeks away, a unanimous Arkansas Supreme Court struck down that state's GOP backed voter ID law aimed at disenfranchising blacks and those thought likely to vote Democrat.  Brace yourself for shrieks of "judicial tyranny" from the Tea Party/Christofascists and their GOP operatives.  It is telling that the GOP's thinly veiled efforts to win by cheating, if you will, are not doing well when analyzed by the courts.  Think Progress has details on this latest GOP defeat.  Here are excerpts:

Late Wednesday afternoon, the Arkansas Supreme Court released a unanimous decision holding the voter ID law passed earlier this year in violation of the state’s constitution. The judges wrote: “The legislature can not, under color of regulating the manner of holding elections…impose such restrictions as will have the effect to take away the right to vote as secured by the constitution.”

“We are extremely pleased,” lead attorney Jeff Priebe told ThinkProgress. “This decision really shows the importance of voting. The Arkansas Constitution holds that the right to vote is a fundamental right, the gateway to all others. It’s so important that we can’t erect additional qualifications that would keep people from voting.”

The ruling affirms a lower court ruling back in April, saying the law is “unconstitutional on its face.”

[T]he Arkansas case turned on a purely technical question: can the legislature add any more requirements to vote than those already listed in the state’s constitution? The court said today they cannot. 

The judges went on to quote Democratic Governor Mike Beebe calling the law “an expensive solution in search of a problem” and “an unnecessary measure that would negatively impact one of our most precious rights as citizens.”

In the case, Priebe and the Arkansas American Civil Liberties Union represented four registered voters in Pulaski County who lacked a valid ID and would thus be disenfranchised in the upcoming midterm election.

“These voters will now be able to cast a ballot in the November general election that will be counted,” he told ThinkProgress. “And countless others will be able to cast a ballot and they won’t have to jump through any hoops to get an ID.”