The World Around You

Alabama takes center stage at the U.S. Supreme Court today,

The legal conflict is over which changes to election procedures need the approval of the U.S. Justice Department to make sure minority voting rights are not compromised, and which don’t. More broadly, the case highlights the frustration of some state Republicans that Alabama is one of those states still subject to Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act.

Because of the state’s history of intentionally disenfranchising black voters, the federal government must sign off on every new law, rule or procedure for voting in Alabama. And while advocates say it has protected black voters through the decades, even recently, critics question whether the oversight is still necessary.

U.S. Supreme Court hears Alabama voting rights case Monday- al.com