The Voting Rights Act was passed in 1965 in an effort to end the widespread and systematic disenfranchisement of Black voters across the United States.
It was extremely effective.
But in 2013, the Supreme Court gutted it. 🧵
It was extremely effective.
But in 2013, the Supreme Court gutted it. 🧵
In a 5-4 decision in a case called Shelby County v. Holder, the Supreme Court decided that key protections granted in the #VRA were no longer needed, in part because the VRA had so effectively reduced voter disenfranchisement
They gutted a provision called *preclearance.*
Preclearance required jurisdictions with a history of discrimination to obtain approval before changing voting rules.
It acted as a safeguard against lawmakers that sought to disenfranchise voters.
Preclearance required jurisdictions with a history of discrimination to obtain approval before changing voting rules.
It acted as a safeguard against lawmakers that sought to disenfranchise voters.
After SCOTUS gutted the Voting Rights Act, states across the nation enacted a wave of laws and policies to suppress the vote, unravelling decades of progress.
To restore the protections that preclearance provided, the new Congress MUST prioritize passing the John Lewis Voting Rights Act.
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