The Voting Rights Act, first enacted in 1965 with large bipartisan support, is a landmark law that outlaws discriminatory voting practices that have been responsible for the denial and abridgement of the voting rights of racial, ethnic, and language minorities in the U.S.

On June 25, 2013, the U.S. Supreme Court, in a 5-4 ruling, struck down Section 4(b) of the Voting Rights Act, which determined which states and local jurisdictions were covered under Section 5 and required to obtain pre-approval – or “preclearance” – from the U.S. Department of Justice or the U.S. District Court of the District of Columbia before any voting change could take effect. The decision essentially suspends enforcement of Section 5 and Congress must act to protect minority voters in the wake of this decision.

This toolkit has been developed to help advocates, community leaders and activists mobilize towards a voting rights fix.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Messaging and Talking Points

• Backgrounder
• Talking Points

Grassroots Tools

• Action
• Power Point
• Social Media Guide
• VRA placard (printable)
• Restore Voting Rights image used for on-line petition

Traditional Media

• Sample Press Release
• Sample LTEs

Articles

• “Handicapping the Voting Rights Act” by Elahe Izade (log in may be required)