BACKGROUND

As the federal judiciary rolls back constitutional and statutory protections for the right to vote, states, now more than ever, must prioritize the value of voting, casting a meaningful ballot, and having that ballot count. In fact, disparities in voter turnout among racial groups are on the rise. Counties subject to federal oversight before Shelby County v. Holder experienced the greatest increase. Some states have responded to the roll back of rights by adopting State Voting Rights Acts (SVRAs). So far California, Washington, Oregon, Virginia, New York, Connecticut, Minnesota have adopted SVRAs, and they apply to a variety of local government jurisdictions. The provisions of the SVRAs range from reducing the evidence required by a plaintiff to prove a vote dilution violation, all the way to expanding language protections, and adopting a preclearance provision (similar to the federal preclearance regime that was gutted by the U.S. Supreme Court in Shelby County v. Holder).  

Studies have shown protections like those found in SVRAs can reduce disparities in racial turnout, increase diversity in local elected offices, and improve local governments’ responsiveness to their constituents. ELC is working with local groups that seek to adopt or amend SVRAs to better enfranchise people of color in local government. 

 Return to Cases & Actions