Justice Department Might Investigate States’ Voter ID laws

One can hope, anyway. Senator Michael Bennett (D—Colorado) and fifteen other senators have written to Attorney General Eric Holder, requesting that the Justice Department examine whether the red states’ “Suppress The Vote” laws are in violation of the Voting Rights Act.

Their letter says in part:

“…These measures have the potential to block millions of eligible American voters…Studies have shown that as high as 11% of eligible voters nationwide do not have a government-issued ID. This percentage is higher for seniors, racial minorities, low-income voters and students…the burden of proof in this preclearance process is on those covered jurisdictions, which must be able to show that legal changes will not have a discriminatory impact on minority voters...The Department should also exercise vigilance in overseeing whether these laws are implemented in a way that discriminates against protected classes in violation of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act.”

Will the Obama Administration act on this request? Even if they do, there’s another possible unintended consequence:

The Corporate Arm of the Republican Party (formerly known as the Supreme Court) might solve the problem by overturning the Voting Rights Act.