50 YEARS OF THE VRA…VOTING RIGHTS ACTS

50 YEARS OF THE VRA…VOTING RIGHTS ACTS From League of Women Voters August 6 was the 50th anniversary of the passage of the Voting Rights Act (VRA). This landmark civil rights legislation has protected voters from discrimination for nearly half a century. But today, the VRA does not offer the same protections it did in 1965.  The U.S. Supreme Court in 2013 gutted key provisions of the VRA in its Shelby County v. Holder decision. Congress currently has before it various proposals, but there’s been no legislation passed to repair the damage. Meanwhile, new restrictive voting laws have been enacted. Each and every eligible American voter ...