'Shame on you': Judge threatens criminal contempt after Tennessee doesn't expand mail-in voting

On Thursday, American Civil Liberties Union voting rights attorney Dale Ho announced that a judge has partially granted a contempt motion against the state of Tennessee, for failing to comply with a prior court ruling compelling the state to allow voters to use COVID-19 risk as a reason to cast a mail-in ballot.

The court ruling condemned the state lawyers' counterarguments, saying "shame on you" — and threatened "criminal contempt" if the problem is not resolved.

Tennessee has among the strictest absentee voting requirements in the country, requiring a valid excuse to cast a ballot by mail. These requirements have been targeted by voting rights activists as the threat of COVID-19 spreading at polling stations has caused concern.