“Voting and Equity in the United States”

The 1965 Voting Rights Act (VRA) has been hailed as one of the most significant pieces of civil rights legislation in US history, increasing voting engagement among marginalized voters. Given the documented successes of the VRA, it is all the more troubling that the Supreme Court, in Shelby County v. Holder (2013) sharply limited the scope of the VRA, dismantling critical elements that had increased voting participation. This court decision also spurred the enactment of long-stalled state-level policies designed to suppress voter turnout and disenfranchise minoritized populations across the nation.