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Supreme Court Strikes Down Key Part of Voting Rights Act

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June 25, 2013
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Legal Director Jon W. Davidson

We are deeply saddened by the Court’s decision in Shelby County v. Holder to strike Section 4 of the Voting Rights Act, which required federal pre-clearance of changes in voting rules in states and localities with histories of racial disenfranchisement.

We are also alarmed because, just this past presidential election, the country saw numerous efforts to deny individuals their right to vote, as well as untold numbers of Americans who were forced to stand in ridiculously long lines for hours to exercise that precious right.

Unconstitutional efforts to suppress voting on racial grounds sadly remain far too prevalent in this country, and effective federal oversight remains as necessary as ever to guarantee that the right to vote is preserved.

We at Lambda Legal are all too familiar with the impact of being denied fundamental rights, and the right to vote is one of this country’s most fundamental. 

We urge Congress to take immediate steps to rectify today’s ruling.