U.S. Justice Department to monitor for voting changes following Supreme Court ruling

  • 11 years ago
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STORY: Attorney General Eric Holder said the Supreme Court's ruling on Tuesday (June 25), which struck down an important part of the 1965 Voting Rights Act that is designed to protect minority voters, was a disappointing "setback" for voting rights and that it could potentially negatively impact millions of Americans.

Holder said the Justice Department will now closely monitor jurisdictions around the country for voting changes that may "hamper voting rights".

"We will not hesitate to take swift enforcement action using every legal tool that remains to us against any jurisdiction that seeks to take advantage of the Supreme Court's ruling by hindering eligible citizens full and free exercise of the franchise," Holder said after the ruling.

The court ruled on a 5-4 vote in favor of officials from Shelby County, Alabama, in finding that a section of the landmark 1965 Voting Rights Act that sets the formula that determines which sta

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