The Latest: Supreme Court OKs Arizona ballot collection ban

PHOENIX – The Latest on a challenge to Arizona’s new law making it a felony to collect early ballots from voters (all times local):

8:55 a.m.

The U.S. Supreme Court has reinstated an Arizona law that makes it a felony to collect early ballots.

Saturday’s order from the nation’s highest court overturns an appeals court decision a day earlier that blocked the new law. The decision is a blow to Democratic get-out-the-vote efforts and groups that had already geared up to help voters deliver their ballots to the polls.

Democrats allege the law hurts minorities’ ability to vote.

The decisions come just days ahead of a presidential election that has Arizona Democrats hoping to win the traditionally Republican state.

Arizona filed an emergency appeal hours after the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals blocked the law Friday. Justice Anthony Kennedy referred the case to the entire Supreme Court, and it issued a brief order overturning the appeals court.