Judge upholds Tennessee law to stop crossover voting in primaries. Critics say the law is too vague.
By TRAVIS LOLLER
Associated Press
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A federal judge in Nashville has upheld a Tennessee law aimed at making sure primary voters are “bona fide” members of the party they are voting for. Former Ambassador to Poland and longtime Tennessee Republican politician Victor Ashe sued state election officials in November. He says the law is so vague that he might be prosecuted because he often criticizes fellow Republicans. Tennessee voters do not register by party, and the law does not define what it means to be a bona fide party member. U.S. District Judge Eli Richardson dismissed the lawsuit on Monday. He says Ashe and his fellow plaintiffs lack standing because their claims of potential injury are too speculative.