Protect the Voting Rights Act NOW!

Chief Judge Hon. Lavenski R. Smith, Hon. James B. Loken, Hon. Steven M. Colloton, Hon. Raymond W. Gruender, Hon. Duane Benton, Hon. Bobby E. Shepherd, Hon. Jane Kelly, Hon. Ralph R. Erickson, Hon. L. Steven Grasz, Hon. David R. Stras, and Hon. Jonathan A.

Last week, a divided federal appeals court ruled that private individuals and groups such as the NAACP do not have the ability to sue under a key section of the federal Voting Rights Act, which prohibits voting practices that discriminate on the basis of race. This means that private individuals and groups won’t be able to challenge discriminatory voting practices, a decision that contradicts decades of precedent and will further erode protections under the landmark 1965 law.

The 2-1 decision by a panel of the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals based in St. Louis found that only the U.S. attorney general can enforce Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, which requires political maps to include districts where minority populations’ are represented in high enough numbers to elect representatives of their choice.

The majority said other federal laws, including the 1964 Civil Rights Act, make it clear when private groups can sue but said similar wording is not found in the voting law. However, private groups have repeatedly brought successful challenges to discriminatory voting practices for the past several decades – even more so than the federal government – playing a fundamental role in protecting our right to vote

To: Chief Judge Hon. Lavenski R. Smith, Hon. James B. Loken, Hon. Steven M. Colloton, Hon. Raymond W. Gruender, Hon. Duane Benton, Hon. Bobby E. Shepherd, Hon. Jane Kelly, Hon. Ralph R. Erickson, Hon. L. Steven Grasz, Hon. David R. Stras, and Hon. Jonathan A.
From: [Your Name]

By ruling that only the U.S. attorney general can enforce Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, this court is stripping U.S. voters and private groups like the NAACP of their right to protect voting rights for ALL U.S. citizens.

This decision comes at a time where discrimination based on race, ethnicity, religion, and class has been on the rise, and as Republican legislators work to systematically weaken the protections granted in the federal Voting Rights Act.

Our right to vote is the beating heart of our democracy. Join us in condemning this decision as it will undoubtedly lead to unchecked voting rights violations carried out with impunity.