Will the Voting Rights Act Survive?

[Hasina]

Will the Voting Rights Act survive the Supreme Court?

For nearly 50 years, the Voting Rights Act of 1965 has served as one of the government's most effective tools for rooting out discrimination against minority voters. Today, the Supreme Court will consider whether the law's methods are still constitutional.

The court today will hear arguments in the case of Shelby County v. Holder, which calls into question one of the law's key provisions: Section 5. That section of the Voting Rights Act requires states with a history of racial discrimination to have any changes to their voting laws pre-approved by the Justice Department's civil rights division or the D.C. federal court.

There's no question voting rights have improved dramatically since the law was passed -- gone are the days of literacy tests and poll taxes, designed to keep minority voters from the polls. Given the significant improvements, Alabama's Shelby County argues that the Section 5 "pre-clearance" requirement "exacts a heavy, unprecedented" cost on the rights that states and local jurisdictions have to craft their own laws. Nine states are required to get pre-clearance under Section 5, as are certain jurisdictions in seven other states.

Source: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-250_162-57571493/will-the-voting-rights-act-survive-the-supreme-court/

[Space Commander Travis]

I do can't help thinking sometimes that literacy tests, for all voters, or tests to ascertain that a person has at least some knowledge of the way that Government works, would be a very good idea before anyone could be eligible for a Vote.

[Hasina]

I do can't help thinking sometimes that literacy tests, for all voters, or tests to ascertain that a person has at least some knowledge of the way that Government works, would be a very good idea before anyone could be eligible for a Vote.

People would still call it racist. Why? The majority of illiterate people happen to be minorities.

http://nces.ed.gov/ssbr/pages/adultliteracy.asp?IndID=32

[Dan'O]

Well they just let a bunch of admin voters out.

http://news.yahoo.com/dhs-releasing-illegal-immigrants-sequester-135405822.html

[Gromdor]

I always thought it was kind of weird that states had different voting laws for elections. One would think that there would be a universal system.

Edited February 27, 2013 by Gromdor

[Rafterman]

The ironic thing is that EVERY state has a history of racial discrimination.

[preacherman76]

Voting rights?????? LOL, THATS the joke. No one has voting rights. You have a choice between bank rule, or bank rule.