The Supreme Court last week announced that it would consider a challenge to a key provision of the 1965 Voting Rights Act. The justices will review whether Congress overstepped its authority by reauthorizing Section Five of the act, which requires federal approval of any changes to election rules in nine states with a history of racial bias. The act was renewed in its entirety for 25 years in 2006, and supporters say it helped prevent discrimination in this year’s elections. But critics say Congress based its decision on outdated data, and that the requirement is an onerous “badge of shame” for the nine Southern states. The court is expected to rule on the law by June.
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