The Voting Rights Act, celebrated as a landmark achievement of the Civil Rights Movement, is under threat with upcoming Supreme Court cases that challenge its effectiveness. Scheduled arguments next term will consider whether Section 2 allows private lawsuits and examine Louisiana's racially gerrymandered congressional map. Over the past decade, the Supreme Court has weakened the Act, notably in cases like Shelby County v. Holder and Brnovich v. Democratic National Committee, which have undermined key provisions protecting minority voting rights and encouraging discriminatory voting laws.
The Voting Rights Act was always meant to be a living safeguard, its strength rooted in community enforcement. Section 2 has allowed private citizens—not just the government—to sue when states draw district lines or enact voting laws that dilute minority voting power.
Over the past 12 years, however, the Supreme Court has systematically dulled those teeth. In Shelby County v. Holder, the court struck down the formula that determined which states had to preclear voting changes with the federal government.
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