‘Motor Voter’ Law Upheld

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday rejected California Gov. Pete Wilson’s legal challenge to the widely successful “motor voter” law, a program that lets citizens register to vote when applying for driver’s licenses and welfare.

Without comment or dissent, the court left standing a lower court ruling that said the federal law did not impinge on California’s sovereignty by requiring state employees to implement the measure.

The California case was closely followed across the country, as six other states also attacked the law’s constitutionality in court. But legal experts said Monday’s decision effectively ends those challenges.

More than 10 million voters nationwide have registered under the program since it started.