Yesterday, the U.S. Supreme Court gave the green light to racist voting restrictions even as Republican legislators are seeking to undermine voting rights throughout America.

Here’s what went down:

• Arizona’s Republican-dominated Legislature and its Trumpist governor recently enacted laws that make it harder for people of color to vote.

• Those laws were challenged under the landmark Voting Rights Act of 1965, which prohibits any voting procedure that restricts someone’s right to vote because of their race, color, or use of certain languages other than English.

• But the Supreme Court upheld Arizona’s voting restrictions even though the laws impact people of color more severely than other voters.

• According to the six Republicans on the Supreme Court, that “disparate impact” on people of color wasn’t enough to overturn Arizona’s voting restrictions.

• Instead, the Supreme Court’s Republican majority gave credit to the bogus excuse that Arizona’s laws were intended to prevent voter fraud — which of course is practically non-existent.

• And they upheld Arizona’s restrictions, making it clear that we can’t count on the existing Voting Rights Act to stop election rules that make it harder for people of color to vote.

• If this sounds familiar, that’s because in 2013 the Supreme Court gutted another section of the Voting Rights Act that required states and localities with histories of racist voter suppression to get federal approval for changes to their voting laws.

• Arizona is known as the Grand Canyon State. The U.S. Supreme Court just shoved our democracy closer to the abyss.

By upholding Arizona’s racist voting restrictions, the Supreme Court has set an alarmingly anti-democratic precedent.

Republican legislators all across the country will be even more emboldened in their fanatical drive to disenfranchise certain Americans via racist voting restrictions.

A message about this Supreme Court decision:

The Supreme Court has once again demonstrated that it will not protect voting rights in America. By upholding Arizona’s racist voting restrictions, the Supreme Court has set an alarmingly anti-democratic precedent. Republican legislators all across the country will be even more emboldened in their fanatical drive to disenfranchise certain Americans via racist voting restrictions.

Add your name.

Thanks for taking action.

For democracy,

- Robert Weissman, President of Public Citizen

P.S. For half a century, Public Citizen has been advancing policies that put the needs of everyday Americans before the greed of billionaires and Big Business. That legacy of progress and that ongoing work could not matter more right now, as our nation transitions to a Joe Biden presidency that will be as progressive as we — you and Public Citizen, together — make it. We’re also busy undoing all the damage Trump did. And, like so many nonprofits and small businesses, we continue to experience financial strain related to the coronavirus pandemic. If you can, please make an emergency donation today to support the critical work we’re doing together or even join our popular Monthly Giving program. Thank you.
 
 
Public Citizen | 1600 20th Street NW | Washington DC 20009 | Unsubscribe