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| - The Supreme Court heard arguments on Tuesday in a case that could have an impact on voting access for minorities, one of the ongoing political battles in US history. The case, Brnovich vs Democratic National Committee, involves two Republican-backed electoral laws in the southwestern state of Arizona and is seen as a test of the 1965 Voting Rights Act. The act was designed to prohibit discrimination against African Americans at the ballot box and is considered one of the landmark achievements of the civil rights movement. It prevented state and local authorities, for example, from enacting measures such as literacy and general knowledge tests that could prevent minorities from voting. The Supreme Court in 2013 struck down part of the act, which had required states with a history of voter discrimination to first receive a green light from the federal authorities before changing any voting rules. At issue in the case now before the nation's highest court is a section of the act that prohibits adoption of any law that would restrict minority voting access, even if discrimination is not intentional. One of the laws passed by the Republican-majority legislature in Arizona would make it a felony for anyone other than a family member, caregiver or postal worker to collect and deliver an absentee ballot. The other would prevent a provisional ballot from being counted if it is cast in a precinct other than the one where a voter is registered. A federal appeals court ruled last year that the laws would adversely impact African Americans, Hispanics and Native Americans, who for socioeconomic reasons are less able to travel to polling stations. Supporters of the state laws argued in the Supreme Court, where conservative-leaning justices have a 6-3 majority, that the laws are necessary to prevent voter fraud. Michael Carvin, an attorney defending the voting laws, said the justices need only to examine whether the "same opportunities" are provided to all voters. "Socioeconomic factors are irrelevant," Carvin said. The outcome of the case is seen as particularly important for the Democratic Party, which receives more support from minority voters than the Republican Party. African Americans, for example, voted overwhelmingly for Democrat Joe Biden in the November presidential election, which former president Donald Trump falsely claimed was marred by voter fraud. According to the Brennan Center for Justice, laws have been drafted in dozens of states since January alone that would restrict voting access. chp/cl/sst
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