The VRA was meant to end race-based barriers to the voting booth, such as poll taxes and literacy tests that Southern states, in particular, used to keep African-Americans from voting. Over time, because of the law, many of those barriers came down. Then, in 2013, the conservative majority on the Supreme Court issued a ruling in Shelby County v. Holder, which held that a key provision of the VRA was unconstitutional.
Congress: Pass the Voting Rights Advancement Act
The good news is that Congress still has time to pass the bipartisan Voting Rights Advancement Act. This new, flexible, and forward-looking set of protections will repair much of the damage done by the Supreme Court. And it will provide modern, flexible protections to combat voter discrimination across the country.
The good news is that Congress still has time to pass the bipartisan Voting Rights Advancement Act. This new, flexible, and forward-looking set of protections will repair much of the damage done by the Supreme Court. And it will provide modern, flexible protections to combat voter discrimination across the country.