"It’s also clear what we must do: restore the race-conscious protections of the Voting Rights Act and enact affirmative measures to expand ballot access across the country."
The Supreme Court’s 2013 Shelby v. Holder decision gutted the Voting Rights Act, the most effective tool to prevent racial discrimination in our elections that the country has ever known. The decision came down six years ago this week and it is clear the court made a grave mistake as voter suppression has proliferated across the country.
It’s also clear what we must do: restore the race-conscious protections of the Voting Rights Act and enact affirmative measures to expand ballot access across the country. [...]
The shape of our democracy will determine the direction this country takes on our most pressing policy issues — health care, climate change, criminal justice, gun control, reproductive freedom and more. Every American deserves a voice in that process, whatever the color of their skin. To make that a reality, on this sixth anniversary of Shelby County, we must be honest that racial discrimination persists in voting and take the bold action necessary to stamp it out.