Michigan Sec. of State Terri Lynn Land

Michigan Sec. of State Terri Lynn Land

A federal judge in Detroit today ordered the Michigan Secretary of State’s office to end its practice of removing registered voters from the voting rolls when their voter ID cards are returned as undeliverable.

U.S. District Court Judge Stephen J. Murphy ordered the Secretary of State’s office to restore the records of voters removed for this reason.

He did not issue a similar order for another contested practice — the cancellation of voter registration for people who apply for drivers licenses in other states.

This case was brought by the United States Student Association, the American Civil Liberties Union and the Advancement Project, which argued that Michigan election officials were removing thousands of eligible voters in violation of federal law.

The Secretary of State’s office did not respond to a call for comment on the ruling.

The Detroit News reports the story here and you can read Judge Murphy’s order here.

For more on the conservative credentials of Judge Murphy and Land’s track record with similar voter rights lawsuits, see here.