The Supreme Court’s decision Tuesday to strike at the heart of the Voting Rights Act could have a major impact on the Civil Rights of minority voters.
The Daily News reports the Voting Rights Act was used in 2001 to prevent the sudden closure of a New York Chinatown voting place on the grounds the closure was not advertised in the Chinese language media.
“There have been and will continue to be people in power trying to pass laws that will dilute the voting-right power of minority groups, and we don’t have the same [protections] that we had yesterday,” said civil rights lawyer Norman Siegel.
The decision by the court leaves the Voting Rights Act without any enforcement power. States with a history of discrimination against minority voters will no longer have to get federal permission before making changes to voting laws.
Civil Rights groups are calling on Congress to come up with a new law that would protect minority voters and pass the scrutiny of the High Court.