Civil rights leaders who marched from Selma, Alabama, to Montgomery in 1965, who received the Congressional Gold Medal on Wednesday lamented Congress’s failure to pass a renewed Voting Rights Act after the US Supreme Court’s recent dismantling of landmark legislation. A federal judge has turned down a request to block a federal official’s move allowing three states to enforce proof-of-citizenship requirements for people attempting to register as voters. Barbara Simons and David Jefferson looked at three internet voting initiatives that may reach the California ballot this November. In testimony before the D.C. Council, the acting chair of the District’s troubled Board of Elections blamed a lack of professionalism for the board’s weak financial controls, as council members questioned the board about election preparedness and internal bureaucracy. A Missouri bill to require photo ID at the polls passed one last test before heading to the Senate floor — where St. Louis Sen. Jamilah Nasheed, a Democrat, has vowed to lead a filibuster to stop it. Nevada’s caucuses were marred by volunteer captains who failed to show up, and alleged double-voting lent a circus-like atmosphere to some of the caucus locations. Critics of North Carolina’s congressional redistricting process asked the federal court that ordered the map redrawn to establish an expedited schedule to determine if a new map, approved by the General Assembly, is valid under constitutional considerations. Virginia voter ID law went on trial in federal court, challenged by Democratic Party activists who allege it throws up barriers to voting by minorities and the poor. Preliminary results in Iran indicated that reformist and moderate candidates were set to expand their influence after two important elections, while the general election Ireland is set to produce a hung parliament after the poor performance in the poll of the existing coalition.