Voting rights in America have undergone multiple amendments to establish fairness, justice, and equality. The Voting Rights Act (VRA) of 1965 remains a landmark legislation intended to combat discriminatory voting practices in America (Crayton, 2023). The enactment of the VRA policy occurred during the Civil Rights Movement, seeking to eliminate barriers like poll taxes and literacy tests. These barriers were supporting discriminative practices through the disenfranchisement of minority voters. This article analyzes the VRA regulation’s historical context, its importance, ensuing developments, and the 2013 U.S. Supreme Court ruling. The enactment of the VRA law was a turning point for America since it provided the basis for fostering fairness and justice in the voting process.
The Voting Rights Decree of 1965
The VRA is a landmark federal regulation enacted to eradicate race-based restrictions on the United States (U.S.) voting process. President Lyndon B. Johnson was responsible for signing the VRA law on August 6, 1965, as a response to the discriminatory voting process (Fredrickson, 2023). The reason for enacting VRA was to prohibit racial discrimination prevalent in Southern states during voting and enforce the 15th Amendment. The 15th Amendment guarantees a fair and just voting process for all U.S. residents regardless of color and race. The target was to eliminate discriminatory practices like poll taxes and literacy tests for fair and equal access to the ballot box by all U.S. citizens.
Review for Supreme Court ruling 2023
The Shelby County ruling by the Supreme Court was a major turning point for the U.S. since it invalidated the Section 4(b) segment of VRA law. Section 4(b) holds the coverage formula utilized in determining the local and state governments subject to preclearance under Section 5. In the wake of 2013, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in the Shelby County v. Holder case that effectively abolished the preclearance requirement (Crayton, 2023). This court ruling resulted in a 5-4 decision invalidating section 4(b) of the U.S. Constitution, identifying the jurisdictions requiring federal approval for changes in the voting law. The main justification given by the Supreme Court was that this order was outdated and ineffective in the current era. This court ruling ceased the federal oversight of the voting policies that had an immediate effect in the Southern states.
States that Implemented Changes and Impact on the Voting Process
The VRA ruling had a direct impact on the voting process in states like in states like North Carolina, Texas, and Georgia. Texas implemented strict voter I.D. laws that led to a legal challenge due to the opponents terming it a discriminatory practice against marginalized communities (Fredrickson, 2023). North Carolina responded by reducing early voting periods and enacting voter identification (I.D.) requirements, leading to lower voter turnout, especially among Hispanic and African American voters. On the other hand, Georgia eliminated voter rolls and enacted voter I.D. laws, whereby opponents alleged that VRA undermined the integrity of the electoral process, affecting marginalized voters. The enactment of the VRA law led to legal battles and controversy over their constitutionality, fairness, and marginalization effects.
Court Challenges and Impact on Redistricting
Aftermath, the Supreme Court decision ensued into the process of states swiftly enacting changes to their voting laws. Some changes included voter rollout, early voting periods, strict voter I.D. requirements, and district boundaries. The legal challenges that ensued comprised cases such as the North Carolina State Conference of the NAACP v. McCrory and the Abbott v. Perez held in Texas. These cases illustrated the ongoing struggle in the U.S. to safeguard voting rights. Also, VRA law led to the autonomy of redistricting the electoral maps in the Southern states. Vogue (2023) states that the United Supreme Court ruled on Alabama’s map, permitting it to redraw the map to constitute an additional 27% of African Americans despite the allegations about racial gerrymandering and minority vote dilution. The VRA law led to the proliferation of states’ autonomy to redistrict without federal oversight. This decision illustrated the struggle to balance interests in electoral representation and redistricting complexities.
Summarily, the VRA law was a turning point for the U.S. since it provided the framework for facilitating fairness and justice in the voting process. The VRA regulation passed in 1965 was crucial in safeguarding equal ballot access and fostering justice and fairness. The implication was the contentious battle over district boundaries, raising issues about minority vote dilution and gerrymandering. The United Supreme Court ruled on an essential voting process case in June 2023, upholding the Alabama map despite racial gerrymandering allegations. There is hope for justice and fairness in the electoral process, given that U.S. states continuously revise and improve the VRA law requirements.
References
Crayton. K. (2023, June 21). The Voting Rights Act explained. Brennan Center for Justice. https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/voting-rights-act-explained
Fredrickson, C. (2023). Will American Democracy Last in Light of the Shadow Docket? Nevada Law Journal, 23(3), 4. https://scholars.law.unlv.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1919&context=nlj
Vogue, A. de. (2023, June 8). Supreme Court orders voting maps redrawn in Alabama to accommodate black voters in surprise ruling | CNN politics. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2023/06/08/politics/supreme-court-alabama-voting-rights-milligan/index.html
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