On June 17th, 2020, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled in favor of voting rights in a 5-4 decision. The ruling was a major victory for civil rights activists and voting rights advocates, who have long argued that restrictive voting laws disproportionately affect minority voters.
The case, known as Department of Commerce v. New York, was brought by the state of New York and several other states, who argued that the Trump administration’s decision to add a citizenship question to the 2020 census was unconstitutional. The Supreme Court agreed, ruling that the administration’s decision was “arbitrary and capricious” and violated the Administrative Procedure Act.
The ruling is significant because it could have a major impact on voting rights. The citizenship question was seen as an attempt to discourage non-citizens from participating in the census, which would have resulted in fewer congressional districts being allocated to states with large immigrant populations. This, in turn, would have had a negative impact on the voting power of those states.
The Supreme Court’s ruling is a major victory for voting rights advocates, who have long argued that restrictive voting laws disproportionately affect minority voters. The ruling is also a reminder that the Supreme Court is still a powerful force in protecting the rights of all Americans.
The ruling is also a reminder that the fight for voting rights is far from over. While the Supreme Court’s decision is a major victory, there are still many states that have implemented restrictive voting laws that disproportionately affect minority voters. It is up to all of us to continue to fight for the right to vote and ensure that all Americans have access to the ballot box.