Empowering Your Voice: Navigating
the New Voter ID Laws
Predicate

August 6, 1965
Voting Rights Act

42 U.S. Code § 1973
• - Denial or abridgement of right to vote on
account of race or color through voting
qualifications or prerequisites; establishment
of violation

LITERACY TEST

• 14TH AMENDMENT (1868)
• 15TH AMENDMENT (1870)
• Enforcement Acts (1870)
• United States v. Cruikshank and United States
v. Reese (1876)
• Harper v. Virginia Board of Elections (1966)
Poll Tax violated Equal Protection Clause

• Section 5-Preclerace
• Section 4b-Coverage Formula

• Northwest Austin Municipal Utility District
No. 1 v. Holder- 557 U.S. 193 (2009)- Justice
Thomas would have held Section 5
Unconstitutional
• Shelby County v. Holder- The Coverage
Formula 4(b) “based on 40 year-old facts
having no logical relationship to the present
day”

Texas Voter ID Law
Before-
Initially unconstitutional –Never Pre-cleared DOJ
After-
Constitution- Section 5 not relevant because
4(b) voided

NEXT-HOW DO WE NAVIGATE THRU
THE MESS