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where people across America and around the world can come together to learn about, debate, and celebrate the greatest vision of human freedom

in history, the U.S. Constitution.

Please support us by becoming a member and learn more at constitution center.org.

I'm Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center,

and welcome to the latest of our We the People constitutional

podcast. The National Constitution Center is the only

institution in America chartered by Congress to disseminate

information about the US Constitution on a nonpartisan basis and today we are

discussing one of the most exciting and important series of constitutional issues

of the year and that is challenges involving voting rights.

On August 6th, the Voting Rights Act will celebrate its 50th anniversary.

It was first enacted in 1965 and it's considered one of the most important pieces of civil rights legislation in American history.

The Voting Rights Act codifies and enforces the 15th amendments guarantee that no American

citizens shall be denied the right to vote on account of race or color.

In 2013, in the Shelby County and Holder case, the Supreme Court struck down Section 4 of the Act.

Section 4 established a formula to determine which jurisdictions would have to get federal approval for changes in their election law.

The court said that formula was unconstitutional

in light of improved conditions in those previously covered areas.

And ever since that case came down,

there have been a series of new laws respecting elections

and also lawsuits challenging these new election regulations.

...