Today, LDF’s motion to intervene was granted in Shelby County, Alabama v. Holder, a case in which Shelby County is seeking to invalidate the core Section 5 preclearance provision of the Voting Rights Act. LDF has intervened on behalf of African-American residents of the county whose voting rights are directly impacted by the suit. Widely regarded as the heart of the Voting Rights Act, Section 5 serves as our democracy’s discrimination checkpoint by requiring jurisdictions like Alabama with a history of racial discrimination in voting to submit proposed voting changes for federal pre-approval to ensure that they are free from discrimination.
