The Decision That Could End Voting Rights
AtlanticAUG 2023
US Appeals Court Makes Major Modification to Voting Rights Act
Image copyright: Spencer Platt/Getty Images News via Getty Images
The Spin
Democratic narrative
This ruling is unconstitutional and in violation of every precedent, the courts have set in past similar cases. Republicans, though, see a path to more electoral victories if they can weaken the 15th Amendment’s protections against racial discrimination, so decisions like this are bound to come down the pike. It’ll be up to the Supreme Court to stop this dilution of voting rights.
Republican narrative
Regardless of whether SCOTUS upholds this ruling, something has to be done to limit Democrats’ ability to challenge voting maps and other electoral mechanisms in an effort to gain legislative majorities through the courts rather than the ballot box. Many voting maps drawn by courts or commissions strike a respectable balance, but Democrats seem to always want the maps skewed in their favor.