The last time the Supreme Court revisited the Voting Rights Act and renewed it was in 2006. Now in 2013, they are reviewing at it again. A lot of individuals and states are complaining that we should not need the Voting Rights Act in 2013. What this Act initially did in 1965, passed by former president Lyndon Johnson, was to rid of barriers Southern states especially would create to prevent Blacks form voting. Even after black men could vote by 1870, via the 15th Amendment, Southern states weren't having it so they created barriers such as poll taxes and literacy tests. These were forms of blatant discrimination, that helpless, powerless blacks could do nothing about, so the Voting Rights Act abolished these discriminatory barriers. The Act also provided and still provides that any time a state wants to change regulations surrounding the way they conduct voting, they must first consult with the federal government.
If the Supreme Court does not renew this, the outcome may not look very good for minorities, Democrats and maybe even women. If the Voting Rights Act is allowed to expire or is lawed no longer relevant, individual states can shorten the time period for early voting, which Democrats usually take advantage of and they may also require photo id to be shown at the polls.
What do you think? Should the Supreme Court renew the Voting Rights Act, or let it expire? Do you believe that states will/will not go back to instilling discriminatory barriers in any kind of way such as shortening the early voting period and enforcing photo ids to be shown?
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-18563_162-57570996/voting-rights-act-faces-supreme-court-challenge/
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