2306 students should get familiar with both the Voting Rights Act - which strengthened the voting rights of minority in the United States by giving the national government the power to pre-clear changes in laws related to elections and voting in states with a history of racial discrimination (like Texas) and the recent Supreme Court decision in Shelby v. Holder which weakened that powers.
The current conflict between the Attorney Generals of the US and Texas stems from the recent court case, as well as different points of view towards the right to vote in general.
This conflict will be central to a lot of the topics we'll hit this semester, so please get a handle on what's at issue here - we will discuss this further soon enough.
Here are few sites that will help you stew over a provocative question: Is there a guaranteed right to vote in the United States?
- The Constitution is not explicit on a right to vote.
- Voting Right or Privilege?
- Right to Vote Amendment.
- The Missing Right.
- A constitutional right to vote?
