As the school year wraps up and the warm weather of the summer looms on the horizon, millions of Americans are starting a new chapter in their lives – graduation is a major achievement.
EDITORIAL NOTE: This blog post was originally posted on the Huffington Post.
The fate of the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) now lies with the Supreme Court. For the second time in as many months, the justices are hearing arguments on vital legislation that has encouraged active participation in our democracy for nearly two decades.
“Restrictions on the use of the national voter registration application form like those by Arizona make it much more difficult to register eligible citizens to vote,” Elisabeth MacNamara said.
The lawyer’s lounge in the Supreme Court building is a soothing shade of green with high ceilings, large windows and portraits of obscure associate justices from centuries past staring down from the walls. As a general rule, members of the Supreme Court bar who can’t find a seat in the actual courtroom can listen to oral arguments from the comfort of a sofa or armchair ranged along the walls of the lounge.
Today, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on the constitutionality of the Voting Rights Act (VRA) of 1965, a case which will ultimately decide whether millions of voters could face new barriers when trying to exercise their right to vote. The Voting Rights Act is an essential part of American democracy. It ensures that every American citizen, regardless of race, has an equal right to vote.
On Wednesday, February 27, the Supreme Court will review Shelby County, Alabama v. Holder, a case that questions the constitutionality of Section 5 the Voting Rights Act (VRA) of 1965, the landmark legislation that outlawed discriminatory voting practices.
On Wednesday, February 27th, the Supreme Court will review Shelby County, Alabama v.
Voting rights have been under attack in state legislatures across the country for more than a decade and there are no signs of it letting up in 2013. Indeed 2013 could be a year that sets back voting rights more than all of the attacks of the past decade combined.
Editorial Note: This piece was first published as part of the Huffington Post's Shadow Convention discussion on money in politics and on my Huffington Post blog.
The growing influence of money in politics threatens to corrupt our representative form of government, where the people – through their votes – are supposed to make the decisions.
