Voting Rights Act Faces New Legal Threats | JQJO

Sixty years after its passage, the Voting Rights Act faces new challenges. A Supreme Court case questions whether private citizens can sue to enforce Section 2, which prohibits racially discriminatory voting practices. Republican officials in multiple states argue only the Justice Department can file such suits, potentially crippling the Act's effectiveness. This challenge comes as the Justice Department under the Trump administration reduced its own voting rights enforcement. Private citizens have historically filed the vast majority of Section 2 lawsuits, and the potential loss of this right is causing significant concern among voting rights advocates.