Fifty-nine years ago today, the Voting Rights Act was signed into law — the crown jewel of the Civil Rights Movement. Ever since then, it has been a shining pillar of our democracy and what we can accomplish through collective action.

But over the last couple of decades, anti-democracy forces have worked hard to dismantle this critical source of voting protection.

In 2013, the Supreme Court’s ruling in Shelby County dismantled a key portion of the Voting Rights Act, effectively nullifying Section 5 — a critical tool to prevent states with a history of racial discrimination from enacting discriminatory voting laws.

Under Section 5, these states needed to receive preclearance before passing new election laws. Eliminating this check opened the door for a new wave of voter suppression laws across the country — and it took only minutes following the Shelby decision for gerrymandered legislatures across the country to start passing those discriminatory laws.

We have a tough fight ahead of us. Yet we are not without hope.

Just last year, in Allen v. Milligan , the Supreme Court rejected Alabama Republicans’ attempt to further undermine the Voting Rights Act when it refused to invalidate Section 2 of the VRA, a provision that prohibits lawmakers from diluting the political power of communities of color. By rejecting Alabama’s effort to cut away at Section 2, the Court helped ensure that the Voting Rights Act will continue to serve as an important tool to make our democracy more representative, and more fair.

Still, too many politicians across the country are determined to hold on to unearned power by restricting and undermining the right to vote.

So today, as we honor the history of the Voting Rights Act, we recommit ourselves to the fight for fair maps and free elections. Join us.

Thank you,
Marina

Marina Jenkins
Executive Director of the NDRC

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