Voting Rights Act Pros And Cons

The Supreme Court was expected to invalidate Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act, the most powerful and effective tool that the United States government has to combat discriminatory election practices. In the last five decades, the court has made decisions reflecting the progress of American society. This Act is one of the most unique civil-rights laws because it does not apply to most of the country. Instead, with a handful of exceptions like Alaska, Arizona and New York City, it applies only to states in the South—to be specific: all of South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, Virginia, part of North Carolina and Florida. In these covered areas, every decision relating to elections is subject to approval, or preclearance, by the Justice Department in Washington, D.C. If a state covered by the Voting Rights Act wants to with-draw its congressional districts or pass a voter-ID law, it needs to seek approval from Washington first. If a county board of elections in a covered jurisdiction wants to move a polling place to a school board and expand its membership, that needs to be cleared by the Justice Department as well. …show more content…
The formula that determines what jurisdictions are covered by the Voting Rights Act has not been changed by Congress since the 1970s, and this intrusion into state sovereignty was defensible only by the conditions of a century of institutional racism and Jim Crow laws. The Voting Act of 1965 addressed many discriminatory acts that were used to curtail the voting rights of African Americans. However, the act has been completely effective. Minorities no longer have to fear the unacceptable conditions that existed fifty years ago. Moreover, intentional discrimination is still prohibited for any state or municipality in the country. The part of the act responsible for preventing discrimination and voting rights in any form is still in effect