Ohio can still continue to strike voters from polls

Supreme Court upholds state’s removal of those who miss elections

Washington — Conservatives on the Supreme Court on Monday upheld Ohio's strict method of removing infrequent voters from the rolls, a process that challengers of the law say disproportionately affects poor and minority voters.

Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr., writing for the majority in the 5-to-4 decision, said Ohio's disputed process of purging voters who may have moved met the requirements of the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA).

The decision came under immediate criticism, beyond the dissenters on the court. Liberal groups and minority advocates said it gave states a green light to impose procedures that studies have shown tend to impact urban areas.

The subtext of the decision was a continuing battle between Republicans and Democrats over laws that regulate who gets to vote and when, including voter-ID requirements and restrictions on early voting. Republicans say the integrity of the process demands ensuring that only the eligible vote, while Democrats say that voter fraud is practically nonexistent and that the goal should be to enfranchise all who are eligible.

It is no surprise the case comes from Ohio, which has the nation's strictest law on removing voters and is a closely divided state almost always seen as a battleground in national politics.

In the past, the Justice Department has opposed Ohio's process as inconsistent with federal law. But the department switched its position after President Trump was elected.

Unlike many voting cases that come before the court, Monday's case centered not on grand constitutional principles but on interpreting seemingly contradictory directives of federal law.

Federal law prohibits removing voters simply because they failed to vote.