SCOTUS Poised to Redefine 'Voting Rights' as 'Voting for the Right People'
When The Hill breathlessly reports that the Supreme Court 'could dramatically alter US election landscape,' one might think this is a new phenomenon. They forget to mention that this landscape has been systematically altered since at least 2013, when Shelby County v. Holder gutted key provisions of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, removing federal oversight from states with histories of racial
discrimination in voting. It's not 'could,' it's 'continue to,' and the current push for voter ID laws, purges, and gerrymandering are simply the predictable consequences. These discussions conveniently overlook that 'protecting election integrity' has become the preferred euphemism for making it harder for certain demographics to vote. The Hill's analysis focuses on future hypotheticals while
ignoring the very real, ongoing voter suppression efforts across the country that have already impacted millions of citizens. Perhaps 'dramatically alter' only applies when the court's actions are too egregious to be spun as 'necessary reforms.' One might wonder why safeguarding the 'democratic process' always seems to involve limiting, rather than expanding, access to the ballot box.