Since the Supreme Court decided to rip the veritable teeth right out of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 in the case of Shelby County v. Holder, it’s been a race to the legislature for the GOP to see how far they go with violating people’s right to vote. Eric Holder and the DOJ, according to Talking Points Memo, will be joining lawsuits challenging GOP-backed voting laws in battleground states of Ohio and Wisconsin.
According to TPM, Holder made the statement in an interview that has yet to air with ABC’s Pierre Thomas.
The lawsuits take issue with recent decisions and legislation in the states to restrict voter access to the polls. In Ohio, six days were removed from the state’s early voting period and the state’s Secretary of State ended early voting on Sundays. In Wisconsin, an ongoing lawsuit challenges a voter ID measure.
The Department of Justice is ready to intervene, says Holder, according to Talking Points Memo.
Since Shelby County, southern states have been passing laws left and right that otherwise would have been impermissible before the case. Chief Justice John Roberts, at the time of the case, argued that America is a different country and that the law is no longer necessary as it was at the time of its passing.
The Department of Justice, it appears, would beg to differ.
Joshua is a writer and researcher with Ring of Fire. You can follow him on Twitter @Joshual33.