Federal judge won't reverse ruling on Illinois voter registration [View all]

CHICAGO -- A federal judge has denied an Illinois attorney general's office request for him to reverse his own decision halting same-day voter registration at polling stations.

A Thursday hearing in Chicago federal court lasted just minutes as Judge Samuel Der-Yeghiayan told lawyers the request is denied.

He ruled earlier this week that the same-day registration option as written benefited Democratic strongholds, like Chicago, and disadvantaged rural regions

Lisa Madigan's office argued that yanking the option so close to the Nov. 8 election would unfairly deny some citizens voting rights. But in a two-page written explanation Thursday, Der-Yeghiayan says, "This court did not restrict the rights of any voters. The legislation did."

Read more: http://www.sj-r.com/news/20160929/federal-judge-wont-reverse-ruling-on-illinois-voter-registration