Overview
- The U.S. Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act does not explicitly grant a private right of action, meaning individuals or advocacy groups cannot bring a lawsuit for voting rights violations, only the federal government can.
- The case in question involves a local NAACP group in Arkansas suing the state over redistricting maps they claim discriminate against Black voters.
- Legal experts predict the case will make its way to the Supreme Court, potentially transforming how voting rights are litigated.
- The ruling currently only applies to federal courts covered by the Eighth Circuit, which includes Arkansas, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota.
- The Voting Rights Act has faced numerous legal challenges since its inception in 1965, with the latest ruling being one of the most significant.