FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 1, 2021
MEDIA CONTACT
Kacey Bonner
310-402-3013
UCLA VOTING RIGHTS PROJECT ISSUES STATEMENT ON SUPREME COURT’S VOTING RIGHTS DECISION
In response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Brnovich v. Democratic National Committee to uphold voting restrictions in Arizona, which could make it harder to challenge other voting laws moving forward and further weakens the Federal Voting Rights Act, Chad Dunn – co-founder and legal director of the UCLA Voting Rights Project, a flagship project of the UCLA Latino Policy and Politics Institute – issued the following statement:
“Today the Supreme Court adopted a strict, but not insurmountable test to determine when election policies are racially discriminatory. While the Court was careful to declare the importance of the Voting Rights Act’s enforcement, under this new framework many discriminatory policies will continue to be the law.
“Today’s decision also reinforces the Supreme Court jurisprudence in the redistricting context and is careful to point out that racially discriminatory vote dilution whether by design or just in result, remains outlawed by the VRA. The Court, however, has now continuously placed burdens on the fundamental right to vote, and it is more apparent than ever that there is a need for new federal voting rights protections.
“Section 2 continues to be the law, and we will continue to use the protections of Section 2 to challenge discriminatory voting practices and uphold the equal right to vote.”
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About UCLA Latino Policy and Politics Institute
The UCLA Latino Policy and Politics Institute addresses the most critical domestic policy challenges facing Latinos and other communities of color through research, advocacy, mobilization, and leadership development to expand genuine opportunity for all Americans.
