PROTECT THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT!



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LWV Rallies in Birmingham
in Defense of the VRA


SCOTUS has taken up Shelby County, AL v Holder. The Voting Rights Act of 1965, a keystone for assuring equal voting rights for all Americans, could be in jeopardy. The LWV of Greater Birmingham and Alabama rallied on March 1 in Birmingham, AL to defend the VRA. Leagues gathered at the federal courthouses in Montgomery and Selma on the same day. Thank you to those who joined with us!! See the LWV Greater Birmingham report. See the Birmingham VRA rally photos.

Rallies were scheduled on March 1 at each of these federal courthouses:
Hugo L. Black U.S. Courthouse
1729 5th Avenue North
Birmingham, AL

Frank M. Johnson, Jr. Federal Bldg & U.S. Courthouse
15 Lee Street
Montgomery, AL

Federal Building & U.S. Courthouse
908 Alabama Avenue
Selma, AL

ALSO national rally in Washington, D.C., Feb 27, 2013
In front of SCOTUS building as SCOTUS reviewed Shelby County, AL v. Holder!
Learn about this national effort by the LWV of the United States and its many partners.

6/25/2013 -- LWV Reacts to Supreme Court Decision on the Voting Rights Act

Supreme Court erases protections against racial discrimination in voting. Congress must act quickly to restore the Voting Rights Act


Washington, D.C. – “Today is a sad day in America: Through its decision in Shelby County, Alabama v. Holder, the U.S. Supreme Court erased fundamental protections against racial discrimination in voting that have been effective for more than 40 years,” said Elisabeth MacNamara, President of the League of Women Voters of the U.S. “Only strong action from Congress can fix this huge mistake made by the Court.”

Read the full statement by the LWV of the United States.
Read NVRA background.

The Supreme Court of the United States rules on Shelby County v. Holder

BREAKING 6/25/2013…
The Supreme Court has ruled on this case. Read LWVUS statement.

This case focuses on Section 5 of the National Voting Rights Act (NVRA), an act that protects the equal voting rights of all Americans. The LWV has used Section 5 of the NVRA to fight several attempts at voter suppression and has joined an Amicus Brief in this case to defend the act. The LWVAL and local leagues in Alabama have stood in defense of the NVRA.

Under authority of the 15th Amendment, Congress enacted amendments to the 1965 NVRA to fight against evident voter discrimination in certain areas of the United States. The legislation included much needed special enforcement provisions (NVRA Section 5) to guarantee enfranchisement for all American voters. The act was signed into law as by President George W. Bush in 2006.

The NVRA is described by LWVUS President Elisabeth MacNamara as the "jewel in the crown of Federal elections law." As MacNamara stated in a February, 2013 press release, "The Voting Rights Act is an essential part of American democracy.  The thought that the Supreme Court might overrule Congress and take away voting rights should send a chill down the spine of every American… Based upon a record of thousands of pages of testimony, Congress knew what it was doing in 2006.  It would be wrong for the Supreme Court to substitute its will for that of our elected representatives in Congress.”

Learn more about the NVRA and the role of the LWV:




About the NVRA from the US-DOJ:
http://www.justice.gov/crt/about/vot/nvra/activ_nvra.php