On July 24, an Iowa state trial court enjoined several laws passed in 2017 that make it somewhat more difficult to vote. Here is the order in League of United Latin American Citizens of Iowa v Pate, Polk County district court cv-056493. The order is based on the state constitution, which says that voting is a fundamental right.

The court order enjoins state election officials from disseminating messages that say, “Iowa voters will be asked to show a form of valid ID when voting”, unless the message is amended to say this is not true for the 2018 election. The new voter ID law doesn’t take effect until 2019.

The order enjoins the law shrinking the absentee voting period from 40 days before the election, to 29 days before. It enjoins the message on the absentee ballot application that says an absentee ballot won’t be issued unless the application includes a voter ID number. Thanks to Rick Hasen for the link.

Due to a typographical error in a Maine law, the normal public funding owed to many Maine legislative candidates cannot be released unless Governor Paul LePage wants to release the money. The candidates were expecting the money, and because they applied for public funding, they can’t raise and spend much private money. But the Governor won’t release their funds, so they are suing. See this story. The oral argument was Tuesday, July 24. Thanks to the Institute for Free Speech for the link.

On July 24, U.S. District Court Mark Walker, an Obama appointee, held a hearing in Jacobson v Detzner, n.d., 4:18cv-262. This is the case in which Democrats challenge the Florida law saying that nominees of the party that won the last gubernatorial election are listed first on general election ballots. The three-page order says the law will not be enjoined now because the case was filed too late. The judge points out that Democrats could have filed this case immediately after the November 2014 gubernatorial election, and that it is now too close to the November 2018 election to expect relief this year.