As a result of the 2013 Supreme Court decision in Shelby County v. Holder, there are currently no states or jurisdictions which are required to comply with the “preclearance” directive under Section 5 of the 1965 Voting Rights Act. This means that states or jurisdictions with a proven history of discrimination are able to make changes to their election laws and policies without proving in advance that the proposed changes will not disenfranchise any voters. The US Supreme Court made it clear that Congress can fix this problem and pass a law to replace the criteria for which states or jurisdictions must comply with Section 5 “preclearance.”
H.R. 4, the Voting Rights Advancement Act, may come to the floor of the full House of Representatives as early as the week of 11/18! Members need to hear from their constituents that the repair, restoration, and strengthening of the 1965 Voting Rights Act is a priority and MUST HAPPEN NOW!!!!
For more information please read our Action Alert, which describes the problem and the solution in more depth, and take Fast Action.
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