Election board close to settling ACLU lawsuit

ST. LOUIS -- Even as a lawsuit alleging voting rights violations is on the way from the federal government, the city's election board is close to an agreement on another lawsuit filed last year by the American Civil Liberties Union.

The conclusion of both is likely to be similar, officials say: The St. Louis Board of Election Commissioners would promise that past poll problems have been fixed and won't happen again.

The government plans to file five lawsuits in the next two months against three Florida counties, a city in Tennessee and St. Louis.

Democratic elections director Sheila Greenbaum confirmed that the St. Louis election board received a letter from Assistant Attorney General Ralph Boyd last week.

Boyd's letter said that because the board has taken corrective steps, the lawsuit would be delayed if officials agree to sit down and work out a consent decree -- essentially a public promise that the board has righted the wrongs.

Greenbaum said she called Department of Justice officials Wednesday to let them know the board was willing to work out such an agreement.