Judge Dismisses Election Challenge Lawsuit

LAUREL, Miss. (AP) — A Mississippi judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by a supporter of Republican Senate candidate Chris McDaniel aimed at preventing crossover voting in Tuesday’s GOP runoff.

Ronald W. Swindall filed the lawsuit Monday in chancery court in Jones County. On Tuesday, he asked Chancery Judge Deborah Gambrell to dismiss the lawsuit and she did.

Mississippi voters do not register by party. State law says the only people prohibited from voting in the Republican runoff Tuesday are those who voted in the Democratic primary on June 3.

Tea party groups cite another Mississippi law that says a voter can participate in a party primary only if he or she intends to support that party’s nominee in the general election. A federal appeals court ruled in 2008 that the law is unenforceable.