Category Archives: Voting Rights Act
“Section 5 Discriminates Against Texas”
Texas SG Greg Abbott has written this oped.
Supreme Court, Without Noted Dissent, Denies Cert. in Lepak “One Person, One Vote” Case
The order list is here.
The petition garnered a lot of attention, including in a Sidebar column from Adam Liptak, no doubt it because it was backed by Edward Blum, who successfully brought the Fisher affirmative action case… Continue reading
“South Carolina’s ‘Evolutionary Process'”
Ellen Katz has written this important new article for Columbia Law Review’s Sidebar, the first in a series of essays on election law issues in the 2012 election. From the introduction:
Undeniably, things have changed. Opportunities for minority political participation… Continue reading
“High court poised to upend civil rights policies”
Hope Yen has written this extensive report for AP, which begins:
Has the nation lived down its history of racism and should the law become colorblind?
Addressing two pivotal legal issues, one on affirmative action and a second on voting… Continue reading
“Feds: Judge wrong to deny Indian election offices”
AP reports from Montana.
Justice Dept. Civil Rights Division Issues Report on 2009-12 Accomplishments
Here.
Reading it gives no inkling of turmoil in the voting section.
Update: Mother Jones: The Civil Rights Division is Kicking Butt, Says the Civil Rights Division
Blockbuster Sneak Peek: Anthony Kennedy’s Summer of Federalism
Let me begin with the caveat that it is always hazardous to predict what the Supreme Court is going to do from reports at oral argument (See, e.g., the health care case). That said, I want to explore what seems… Continue reading
“Gay-Marriage Coverage: A Media Shutout? Coverage of the issue may be overshadowing another important civil rights cause.”
Keli Goff:
I have been baffled by the fact that while the Supreme Court’s upcoming rulings on voting rights and affirmative action were relegated to a couple of days of nonintensive media coverage, coverage of the court’s upcoming rulings on… Continue reading
“Same-sex marriage: Court on the couch”
I have written this piece for Reuters Opinion. It begins:
Will Justice Anthony Kennedy’s support for a constitutional right to gay marriage doom the constitutionality of affirmative action and a key provision of the Voting Rights Act? To answer this… Continue reading
“McDonnell signs bill requiring photo ID for voting”
Richmond Times Dispatch: “Gov. Bob McDonnell has signed legislation requiring voters to present photo ID at the polls.”
The law now requires approval from DOJ or a court under section 5 of the Voting Rights Act.
“The Voting Rights Act should be left alone”
Gregory Craig has written this WaPo oped.
Coates and Adams Oped Against Tom Perez Describes Conversations with Perez
Washington Examiner OpEd by former DOJ lawyers Christopher Coates and J. Christian Adams:
Senators of both parties should be reluctant to confirm nominee Thomas E. Perez as Labor secretary because he has provided inaccurate testimony under oath.
The explosive report… Continue reading
“A Structural Theory of Elections”
Franita Tolson has posted this draft on SSRN. Here is the abstract:
Scholars and courts have hotly debated whether section 5 of the Voting Rights Act is constitutional under the Reconstruction Amendments. In these debates, attention has focused almost exclusively… Continue reading