At the signing of the 2006 reauthorization of the VRA, after its unanimous approval by the Senate, George W. Bush said: “In four decades since the Voting Rights Act was first passed, we’ve made progress toward equality, yet the work for a more perfect union is never ending.”
And yet, only seven years later, the Supreme Court, in a 5-4 ruling, has declared Section 4 – a key provision of the VRA – antiquated and unconstitutional. In his opinion in Shelby County v. Holder, Chief Justice Roberts wrote “[the Fifteenth Amendment] is not designed to punish for the past; its purpose is to ensure a better future.”
In the face of 15,000 pages worth of evidence of voting rights discrimination, and a lifetime that encompassed much of the civil rights movement, Chief Justice Roberts proffered an ideological and ahistorical decision under the guise of a post-racial reality – a decision ignorant of the long shadow of discrimination.
Increased voter turnout among African-Americans and Latinos, an African-American President, and a more diverse and inclusive democracy are still being met with attempts at retrenchment. We cannot allow the sun to set on our rights.
Too many eligible voters remain marginalized, and even more will be pushed to the sidelines now that the VRA has been dismantled, particularly those from low-income, minority, and elderly communities in the South.
- In Mississippi, the Secretary of State has vowed to push through restrictive voter ID legislation.
- North Carolina is preparing restrictive voter ID legislation, cuts to early voting, and strict felony disenfranchisement laws.
- Virginia has proposed strict voter ID legislation; and
- Texas will immediately implement a controversial voter ID law that was blocked last year thanks to the preclearance provision of the VRA.
Do we wait for a fiercely divided, partisan Congress to agree on an updated preclearance formula? No. The fight is in our hands. We must redouble our efforts to build more court challenges to overly restrictive, discriminatory voting laws.
The elected officials looking to restrict your right to vote have been very busy in the few days since the decision came down. Let’s show them what we can accomplish just as quickly.
Please donate today. With your help, Project Vote will keep fighting to protect and improve our democratic systems. Our work just got harder, yes, but we will not quit.
Photo via U.S. National Archives