FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 1, 2021
Contact: Juan Ramiro Sarmiento
(785) 760-6567 | JuanRamiro.Sarmiento@younginvincibles.org

SCOTUS Decision Further Guts Voting Rights Act, Highlights Fragility of American Democracy

(Washington, DC) — On the 50th anniversary of the 26th Amendment, in a 6-3 decision along partisan lines, the Supreme Court decidedly chose to further gut what remains of the Voting Rights Act and continue to disenfranchise millions of voters of color. The Supreme Court upheld Arizona’s voting restrictions as it relates to the disproportionate impact of racial and ethnic minorities, making it more difficult to challenge the onslaught of voting restrictions Republican-controlled state legislatures seek to implement across the country.

In response, Jesse Barba, Senior Director of External Affairs for Young Invincibles, issued the following statement.

“The history of our nation is punctuated with hard-fought victories to expand voting rights. Today, on the 50th anniversary of the 26th Amendment to the Constitution — granting voting rights and full participation in our democracy to 18-, 19-, and 20-year-old Americans — we are reminded of one of those victories.

The expansion of the franchise has undoubtedly strengthened our democracy by recalibrating the balance of power in our society and advancing the fundamental rights of all its citizens. Those who stand to benefit from the erosion of democracy and the disenfranchisement of any voter group, stand in near-unanimous opposition to voting rights.

In upholding Arizona’s voter suppression law, the Supreme Court has continued to erode what remains of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 – a landmark victory and the foundation of our modern-day democracy.

In the last election, more people voted than any election in the history of our country. Since then, nearly 400 bills have been introduced across the country to make it harder for Americans to vote. This is anti-democratic and wrong – no American should be kept from voting early, voting by mail, or voting at all.

The Supreme Court’s decision is a stark reminder of the fragile nature of our democracy and the constant necessity to safeguard voting rights.

We can wait no longer. The Senate must act and pass the For the People Act, which would provide all Americans with fair and accessible voting options, and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, which would prevent discriminatory changes to voting laws and procedures.

The time is now.”