DETROIT (AP) - Longtime Congressman John Conyers has joined a federal lawsuit taking aim at the requirement that petition collectors be registered voters.
Conyers joined the suit Thursday, two days after Wayne County Clerk Cathy Garrett determined he doesn't have enough signatures to appear on the Aug. 5 Democratic primary ballot.
The suit was filed against Garrett and Michigan Secretary of State Ruth Johnson by the ACLU on behalf of two petition circulators and others. The signatures they gathered weren't counted because they hadn't complied with state voter registration requirements.
Conyers first was elected to the House in 1964. He represents Michigan's 13th district, including Detroit and several suburbs.
The ACLU also asked the court to order Garrett and Johnson to stop enforcing the law the group deems unconstitutional.
Johnson's office declined comment.
