MEMPHIS (AP) — A judge has ruled that the election commission in Tennessee's largest county must open all of its early voting locations two days earlier than originally planned, in response to lawsuits filed by the NAACP and Democrats.
The Commercial Appeal reports that Shelby County Chancellor JoeDae Jenkins ruled Monday that the county must open all 27 sites for early voting for the August elections on July 16.
Election officials had planned to open only three early voting sites during the first four days of early voting — which starts Friday — followed by the opening of the remaining sites July 18.
The NAACP and county Democrats argued that the election commission's plan would disenfranchise voters in inner-city Memphis, where many rely on public transportation to get to voting sites.