Friend,
In 2013, shortly after the U.S. Supreme Court released its 5-4 ruling in Shelby County v. Holder, the late congressman and civil rights icon John Lewis wrote: “The Supreme Court has stuck a dagger into the heart of the Voting Rights Act.” He was right, and he spent much of his remaining years fighting to restore what he and so many others fought so hard to achieve during the civil rights movement.
Today marks the 8th anniversary of the Supreme Court decision that gutted a key part of the Voting Rights Act.
The Roberts Court’s Shelby County decision gutted the provision of the VRA that required preclearance from federal authorities for changes to voting regulations in certain jurisdictions that have had a history of making it difficult for communities of color to vote.
In the eight years that have passed since that decision – and Rep. Lewis’s warning – we’ve seen more than 1,600 polling places shuttered and multiple waves of voter suppression laws, including in the states where preclearance was once required under the VRA.[1] Fueled by Trump’s Big Lie about fraud in the 2020 election, the worst of those waves is happening this year – right now.
The John Lewis Voting Rights Act would restore the original preclearance requirements, add new requirements, and provide additional vital protections to increase the VRA’s effectiveness in protecting voting rights across the country.
Passing the John Lewis Voting Rights Act is a crucial step to defend the freedom to vote – so let’s fight to get it done.
Thank you for all that you do,
Ben Jealous, President
[1] “Report: More than 1600 Polling Places Have Closed Since the Supreme Court Gutted the Voting Rights Act.” (MotherJones, 9/10/2019.)
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