Feb. 26 – American Constitution Society
When the Supreme Court takes up the Voting Rights Act case this week, Shelby County v. Holder, the Justices will focus on this question: Whether Congress had authority under the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments to require certain jurisdictions to gain federal preclearance before making any changes to their election laws. But lurking in the background of the Question Presented is a curious nod to federalism. Thus the Court will ask if Congress exceeded its authority, then did it violate the Tenth Amendment and Article IV—provisions that, according to the petitioner, protect states’ rights.
Read more: Prof. Steven Schwinn Discusses Federalism and the Voting Rights Act