The lawsuit introduced Ralston’s words to the court record, quoting him saying that sending absentee ballot applications to all voters would be devastating for Republicans. And the civil rights attorney who flagged his comments on Twitter a year ago stood behind Attorney General Merrick Garland as he announced the legal action. That attorney, Vanita Gupta, is now the associate attorney general.
The words and intent of Ralston and others involved with enacting the new voting law, SB 202, will be key in the Justice Department’s efforts to show that the law purposefully discriminates against Black voters.