Take Two translates the day’s headlines for Southern California, making sense of the news and cultural events that affect our lives. Produced by Southern California Public Radio and broadcast from October 2012 – June 2021. Hosted by A Martinez.
Today marks fifty years since President Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act.
President Johnson and the Voting Rights Act
The Act banned race-based discrimination at the polls and required states to get federal approval before changing election laws. For civil rights activists, it was a hard-fought victory.
Now, five decades on, many worry the act doesn’t have the power it once did. That’s because of a recent Supreme Court decision that struck down a key provision mandating extra oversight for states with a history of racial segregation.
Spencer Overton teaches law at George Washington University. He tells Take Two that, almost immediately following the court’s decision, some states began implementing discriminatory voting laws. “[We] saw politicians take advantage of the lack of protection,” he explained. “In Texas, within hours of the court’s decision, Texas announced that it would enact a restrictive ID law, and a federal district court ruled that [the] laws were discriminatory. [That] decision is now on appeal.”
And Overton says Texas wasn’t alone. He tells host Shereen Meraji, “North Carolina enacted a whole slew of changes that made it more difficult for minorities to vote.”
There has since been a push to restore the Voting Rights Act. Overton says congress would need to work together to bring about any real change. And he says some modern additions will be needed. He tells Take Two, “We need some common sense reforms that make sure eligible voters can participate with few barriers, and at the same time, ensure that those who are not eligible do not vote.”
Press the play button above to hear more from George Washington University’s Spencer Overton.