**Supreme Court Leaves Key Provision of 1965 Voting Rights Act Intact**
**June 23, 2021**
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Wednesday left intact a key provision of the landmark 1965 Voting Rights Act, preserving a crucial safeguard against racial discrimination in voting that has been challenged by conservatives.
The 6-3 decision, with the court’s three liberal justices dissenting, upheld the so-called “preclearance” requirement, which requires certain states with a history of racial discrimination in voting to get approval from the federal government before changing their election laws.
The court’s decision is a significant victory for voting rights advocates, who have argued that the preclearance requirement is essential to preventing states from enacting measures that would disenfranchise minority voters.
“This is a huge win for voting rights,” said Dale Ho, director of the A.C.L.U.’s Voting Rights Project.
“The Voting Rights Act is the most important civil rights law in our nation’s history, and this decision ensures that it will continue to protect the voting rights of all Americans.”
The case, Brnovich v. Democratic National Committee, was brought by Arizona Republicans who argued that the preclearance requirement was outdated and discriminatory.
They claimed that Arizona had made significant progress in improving its voting procedures and that the state should no longer be subject to federal oversight.
But the Supreme Court disagreed, finding that Arizona had not met its burden of proving that the preclearance requirement was no longer necessary.
The court’s decision is a major setback for conservative efforts to weaken the Voting Rights Act.
In recent years, several states have passed laws that make it more difficult for people to vote, particularly minority voters.
These laws include voter ID requirements, cuts to early voting and restrictions on voter registration.
Voting rights advocates say that these laws are designed to suppress the minority vote and undermine the Voting Rights Act.
The Supreme Court’s decision upholding the preclearance requirement is a significant step in protecting the voting rights of all Americans.
**Reaction to the Decision**
The decision was met with praise from voting rights advocates and condemnation from conservatives.
“This is a victory for the Voting Rights Act and for the millions of Americans who rely on it to protect their right to vote,” said Kristen Clarke, president of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law.
“The Supreme Court has reaffirmed that the Voting Rights Act is essential to ensuring that all Americans have an equal opportunity to participate in our democracy.”
Conservative groups, however, criticized the decision, arguing that it was outdated and discriminatory.
“The Voting Rights Act was passed in 1965 to address the specific problem of racial discrimination in voting,” said Hans von Spakovsky, a senior legal fellow at the Heritage Foundation.
“But the country has changed a lot since then, and the preclearance requirement is no longer necessary.”
The Supreme Court’s decision is likely to have a major impact on the upcoming midterm elections.
Voting rights advocates say that the decision will help to prevent states from enacting measures that would disenfranchise minority voters.
Conservatives, on the other hand, say that the decision will make it more difficult for states to improve their election procedures.
The debate over the Voting Rights Act is likely to continue in the years to come.
But the Supreme Court’s decision upholding the preclearance requirement is a significant victory for voting rights advocates and a major setback for conservative efforts to weaken the Voting Rights Act..
