As more Republican-led states pass restrictive voting laws after the 2020 election, many believe that these laws are trying to prevent minority voting, and Democrats are stepping up efforts to prevent states from unfairly restricting voters in voting . However, they not only need to remove the major obstacle, Congress, but also the Supreme Court.
Democratic lawmakers are keen to restore key parts of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which have been repealed for many years, and know that they have There is a big obstacle to clear In Congress, they have only a small majority. If their legislation, that is, the John Lewis Voting Rights Promotion Act, is passed, they also fully expect to appear in court eventually, which means they must also persuade the Conservative majority court to vote for them. Associated Press.
The John Lewis Act will allow courts and the Department of Justice to monitor changes to future voting rules in places with a history of discrimination against minorities in elections. These places are called “Pre-check” Or a process that requires approval from the Ministry of Justice before making any changes to voting practices.
The Democrats are eager to reconsider the pre-approval that was stopped in 2013 because several states have issued new voting restrictions in response to Donald Trump’s claims that the 2020 election was stolen.Law has passed Georgia, Arizona with Texas So far, two of these are states that support Joe Biden, which raises concerns about the restrictions of these measures and how they disproportionately affect minority voters.
However, Republicans, and possibly Conservative-leaning courts, seem to disagree with the need for pre-approval. The opposing legislators called this an outdated practice, originally aimed at areas with low minority voter turnouts, and There is a history of preventing minorities from voting. Republicans believe that the minority turnout during the last election was considered helpful to promote Joe Biden’s victory, which proves that pre-approval is no longer necessary.
Although Democrats may be concerned about the Supreme Court because they are trying to find a way to prevent voters from being deprived of their citizenship, they may look too far, because in any case, even if the bill is passed, their chances of passing the Senate are slim. . In the House of Representatives, because of the obstruction rule that requires 60 votes to advance.
Currently, the Senate is equally divided between Republicans and Democrats at a 50-50 ratio, and Vice President Kamala Harris can cast a tie-breaking vote when needed. However, even with that razor that keeps them in control, the Democrats will not be able to advance their agenda unless they have the support of the Republican Party.
Photo: AFP/José Luis Magana
