Judge: Tennessee not in contempt for new voter by-mail limit

A judge ruled Tuesday that state officials are not in contempt of court because they keep enforcing a Tennessee law barring many first-time voters from casting absentee ballots, despite her decision that all eligible voters can vote by mail during the coronavirus pandemic. That’s because the voting rights groups that sued for the absentee expansion did not explicitly ask her to block the first-time voter law. Time is running short for a change to occur before the July 30 deadline to request an absentee ballot for the Aug. 6 primary election. The first-time voter requirement is also being challenged in federal court.