Supreme Court, Key Cases, Shelby County v Holder

What year did Shelby County v Holder take place?

2013

How decisive was the Court's decision?

5-4

When did Congress reauthorise the 1965 law and with what majorities in each chamber?

In 2006, 98-0 in the Senate and 390-33 in the House

What did some Southern States have a history of before 1965?

Making it more difficult for minorities to vote using systems such as literacy tests and poll taxes

What was the immediate consequence of the ruling?

Texas was able to put in place Voter ID laws that would have been banned under the Voting Rights Act

What did the Supreme Court rule?

That the formula was out of date and its continued use exceeded the 14th Amendment right to equal protection and the 15th Amendment protection of voting rights

Which act did the Court strike down a key provision of?

The Voting Rights Act, 1965

Which key provision did the Court strike down?

The requirement for states with a history of racial discrimination to obtain federal approval before changing their voting procedures

What do critics say about this ruling initiated after a black man won the USA presidency?

critics have said that the ruling has made it easier for state officials to make it harder for Black and other racio-ethnic minority voters to vote. Research shows that preclearance led to increases in minority congressional representation and increases in minority turnout. Five years after the ruling, nearly 1,000 polling places had been closed in the U.S., with many of the closed polling places in predominantly African-American counties. Research shows that the changing of voter locations and reduction in voting locations can reduce voter turnout. There were also cuts to early voting, purges of voter rolls and imposition of strict voter ID laws. Virtually all restrictions on voting subsequent to the ruling were by Republicans