Shelby County v. Holder

Shelby County v. Holder, 570 U.S. 529 (2013), is a landmark decision of the U.S. Supreme Court on the constitutionality of the Voting Rights Act of 1965's preclearance regime, under which certain states and localities with histories of racial discrimination in voting had to obtain federal approval before changing their voting laws. On 25 June 2013 the Court ruled 5 to 4 that the formula determining which jurisdictions were covered by preclearance was unconstitutional because it relied on data more than forty years old, and while the Court did not strike down the preclearance requirement itself, no jurisdiction remained subject to it without a new coverage formula from Congress. Studies since the ruling have found it associated with reduced minority voter turnout, closures of polling places concentrated in the counties previously covered, and cuts to early voting.