A federal appeals court panel won't block a new Arizona law making it a felony to collect early ballots from voters.
Friday evening's ruling from the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals means get-out-the vote groups won't be able to collect ballots from voters and deliver them to the polls.
The state and national Democratic parties and some voters sued to block the Republican-backed law, saying it violated the Constitution and the Voting Rights Act because it hurt minorities' ability to cast ballots.
Appeals court Justice Sandra Segal Ikuna and Justice Carlos Bea rejected their effort, agreeing with a lower court that the law wasn't a significant burden and didn't disproportionately affect minorities.
Chief Appeals Court Judge Sidney Thomas dissented, saying the law criminalized a popular method of minority voting.
