The Court Gutted Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act

Preet speaks with Abha Khanna, who successfully argued the Allen v. Milligan voting rights case before the Supreme Court. The 5-4 decision, with conservative justices John Roberts and Brett Kavanaugh joining the three liberal justices, stunned legal experts.

Khanna is a partner at the Elias Law Group, a voting rights law firm. In Milligan, she represented a group of Black voters from Alabama whose rights were found to be violated under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, which holds that the right to vote “shall not be denied or abridged ... on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.”

References & Supplemental Materials:

• Allen v. Milligan (2023)
• Shelby County v. Holder (2013)
• Marc Elias, “In a Major Victory, the Supreme Court Didn’t Break Democracy,” Democracy Docket, 6/9/23

Stay Tuned in Brief is presented by CAFE and the Vox Media Podcast Network. Please write to us with your thoughts and questions at letters@cafe.com, or leave a voicemail at 669-247-7338.

For analysis of recent legal news, try the CAFE Insider membership for just $1 for one month: cafe.com/insider. Check out other CAFE shows Now & Then and Up Against the Mob. 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices