What We Do Now

May 14, 2026

Following the Supreme Court's April 29 decision that eliminated the final enforcement mechanism of the Voting Rights Act, civil rights attorney Portia Wood outlines the remaining paths for protecting voting rights. While federal legislative solutions like the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act remain stalled in the Senate due to the filibuster and current composition, legal battles are shifting to state courts where constitutional provisions may offer stronger protections than current federal law.

Who is affected

Black voters and communities whose voting power is being diluted through redistricting
Civil rights organizations actively litigating: the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, NAACP Legal Defense Fund, ACLU's Voting Rights Project, and Democracy Docket
Residents in states rapidly redrawing maps (Florida, Louisiana, and five other states calling special sessions)
Voters in competitive Senate race states
State-level candidates and officials (state legislators, supreme court justices, attorneys general)
Independent Black media outlets like the AFRO

What action is being taken

Civil rights organizations are actively filing lawsuits in state courts under state constitutional provisions
The NAACP Legal Defense Fund filed an emergency brief in Louisiana within days of the Callais ruling
The ACLU filed a challenge to Louisiana Governor Landry's election suspension on May 2
Florida is passing new electoral maps
Louisiana cancelled its primary
Five states are calling special sessions within 48 hours of the ruling to redraw maps

Why it matters

This represents a fundamental shift in how voting rights must be protected in America. With federal protections dismantled and legislative solutions blocked, the burden has moved to a more fragmented, expensive, and difficult state-by-state legal and organizing approach. The rapid response by multiple states to redraw maps demonstrates that Black political participation remains a significant threat to certain power structures, making sustained voter turnout and grassroots organization critical. The outcome will determine whether voting rights can be preserved through decentralized efforts or whether they will continue to erode, affecting the fundamental democratic participation of Black communities across the country.

What's next

Continued state court litigation by civil rights organizations using state constitutional provisions
Focus on competitive Senate races that could change federal legislative prospects
Organizing efforts targeting state-level races: state legislatures, state supreme courts, and state attorneys general
Sustained voter mobilization across all election levels (federal, state, local, judicial)
Building precinct and county infrastructure to support voting access
Long-term grassroots organizing at the state level, modeled on the decades-long work that originally produced the Voting Rights Act

Read full article from source: The San Diego Voice & Viewpoint