[Above video shows the court case as it began. Great news below as the court decides on behalf of voting rights organizations. -- eds.]
The League of Women Voters of Missouri and state arm of the NAACP on Friday celebrated after the Cole County Circuit Court granted a preliminary injunction blocking parts of a new law intended to restrict activities of groups encouraging Missourians to vote.
"We are gratified that the court has yet again sided with the rights of the NAACP and voters who work to protect the right to vote," said Nimrod Chapel Jr., president of the Missouri arm, just days before the crucial midterm elections.
"The NAACP has long led the fight for African-American voting rights," Chapel continued. "In these Jim Crow provisions, lawmakers stripped us of critical ways to engage our communities by criminalizing our ability to encourage voting and good citizenship. Black voters have been disproportionately harmed by these restrictions."
"With today's ruling, we will uplift our voices loud and strong to protect the right to vote heading into next week's critical elections," he declared.