Eric H. Holder, Jr., et al., Respondents
Donald B. Verrilli, Jr., Counsel of Record
Congress passed the Voting Rights Act (VRA) in 1965 in order to combat what it perceived to be the ongoing and pernicious violation of minority voting rights in certain parts of the country (mostly the South, but also Alaska, Hawaii, Arizona, and parts of other States). In Section 4 of the law, it developed a formula — which it modified in 1970 and again in 1975 — to determine jurisdictions that are obligated to seek “preclearance” from the Federal Government prior to making any changes to their voting laws and procedures. In April 2010, after the U.S. Supreme Court the…
