Supreme Court to Review Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act

The U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear a key challenge to the preclearance requirements under Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act.

Today, the court agreed to hear Shelby County, Alabama v. Holder, et al.,No. 12-96, and limited its grant of certiorati to the following question:

“Whether Congress’ decision in 2006 to reauthorize Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act under the pre-existing coverage formula of Section 4(b) of the Voting Rights Act exceeded its authority under the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments and thus violated the Tenth Amendment and Article IV of the United States Constitution.”