"8th Circuit Appeals Court Ruling Impacts Voting Rights Act"

A federal appeals court has upheld a ruling that only the head of the Justice Department can bring lawsuits to enforce key provisions of the Voting Rights Act, potentially limiting the reach of the Act's protections for people of color. The ruling in an Arkansas redistricting case may set the stage for a Supreme Court battle. Previously, private individuals and groups had brought the majority of Section 2 cases to court, challenging voting map redrawing and other election processes that marginalized the voting power of people of color. The decision could be appealed to the Supreme Court, and in the meantime, the plaintiffs may pursue the case under a different federal statute.