The State (South Carolina) offers this report, which begins: ” A retired USC law school professor is asking a federal judge to halt the April 6 Columbia City Council District 2 election. Katharine Butler said the City Council’s decision to replace former District 2 Councilman E.W. Cromartie in an election held April 6 changed the city’s election procedures without first getting preclearance from the United States Justice Department, which is in violation of Section 5 of the 1965 Voting Rights Act.”