Supreme Court Must Uphold VRA To Prevent Discrimination in Voting

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Facade of Supreme Court building.
United States Supreme Court, Washington, D.C.

The U.S. Supreme Court is hearing arguments in Brnovich v. DNC, a case which could have profound implications for the future of voting rights in America. Campaign Legal Center (CLC) submitted an amicus brief in the case.

The case focuses on the role of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act (VRA), a federal law providing protection against racial discrimination in voting. Since the VRA was signed into law in 1965, it has been our country’s best defense against racially discriminatory voting policies, enabling advocates to advance more equitable voting systems that better represent communities of color.

The Supreme Court should issue a ruling that upholds the VRA, our nation’s most effective defense against racially discriminatory voting policies. Now is not the time to weaken the key provisions of the VRA.

Instead, we should be working to strengthen protections for communities of color to make sure every voice is heard in our democracy. Far too many people continue to face discriminatory barriers that make voting access needlessly difficult.

Our democracy works best when everyone can participate. However, after a record-breaking 160 million Americans voted in the 2020 elections, politicians have pushed back with a rash of legislative proposals introduced across the country attempting to limit access to voting in future elections.

Many of these measures – like rollbacks to mail voting or cuts to early voting hours – would disenfranchise communities of color at a disproportionately high rate.

Every voter should be able to exercise their right to vote and have their voice heard. The court must affirm its vital role in preserving voting rights by striking down Arizona’s discriminatory laws.

Learn more about Brnovich v. DNC.

Corey handles media relations for the CLC voting rights and redistricting teams and creates online content. Follow @cgfromdc on Twitter