The Day the Voting Rights Act Died

On June 25, 2013, Chief Justice John Roberts wrote for a 5-4 conservative majority in Shelby County v. Holder, effectively gutting the Voting Rights Act of 1965—the most important civil rights legislation in American history.

Within hours, Texas announced it would implement the nation’s most restrictive voter ID law—a law that had been blocked under federal preclearance. Three days later, Alabama passed strict photo ID requirements.

In the twelve years since Shelby County, at least 29 states have passed 94 laws making it harder to vote—particularly for communities of color. The Black-white voter turnout gap has widened in states that previously required preclearance.

The Supreme Court didn’t just weaken voting rights. It systematically dismantled the protections that made democracy possible for millions of Americans.