Overview
The federal Voting Rights Act (VRA), passed in 1965 thanks to the efforts of the civil rights movement, is one of the most important pieces of legislation ever enacted in our country. However, due to U.S. Supreme Court decisions over the past decade, some of the most important protections of the federal VRA have been stripped away.
In response to this shifting landscape, some states have taken renewed interest in putting their own voting rights protections in place in the form of state Voting Rights Acts. This policy brief outlines the increasing need for these laws, explains how these policies have developed over time and how they differ between states, and offers a rundown of current proposals in the 2025 legislative session.
