[JURIST] The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) [advocacy website] announced [press release] a settlement agreement [text, PDF] Friday over early voting in Ohio. The now settled lawsuit was filed last year by the ACLU challenging the decreased availability of early voting opportunities in the state as a result of the passage of Senate Bill 238 [bill summary]. The bill eliminated the “golden week,” a six-day window when people were able to both register to vote and cast an early ballot on the same day. The settlement provides an additional Sunday voting opportunity and restores extended evening voting hours for all elections through 2018.

Voting laws have been a contested subject in the US recently, especially voter ID laws. In March the ACLU filed a petition asking the US Supreme Court to review the September federal appeals court ruling upholding [JURIST reports] Wisconsin’s voter ID law. Wisconsin’s Act 23 [text, PDF] requires residents to present photo ID to vote. In November a federal appeals court rejected [JURIST report] a Kansas rule that required prospective voters to show proof-of-citizenship documents before registering to vote. In October the Supreme Court allowed [JURIST report] Texas to enforce a strict 2011 voter ID law requiring voters to show photo ID at the polls. Also in October the Arkansas Supreme Court [official website] struck down [JURIST report] a voter ID law finding it unconstitutional.