The Guardian view on the US supreme court: its judgments have slowly erased voting rights
A landmark ruling set back the right Congress granted – of racial equality in electoral opportunity – to keep Republicans in power
TL;DR
- US federal protections for Black voters eroded after Reconstruction, leading to Jim Crow laws and disenfranchisement.
- The Voting Rights Act of 1965 aimed to end voting inequities, but the Supreme Court is weakening it.
- A recent Supreme Court decision significantly weakened Section 2 of the VRA, the main federal limit on gerrymandering.
- Republicans are rapidly redrawing maps, placing Black congressional districts at risk and potentially gaining seats.
- This decision allows states to ignore race when drawing maps, similar to the 2013 ruling that removed pre-approval requirements for voting rule changes.
- Justice Elena Kagan warned that the decision risks minority voters losing their political voice.
- The article suggests the court's decisions will undermine American democracy and should be confronted by the next Democratic administration.