by Aryn Fields •
WASHINGTON — Today, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) civil rights organization, responded to the Supreme Court’s negative decision on Brnovich v. Democratic National Committee, a case consolidated with Arizona Republican Party v. Democratic National Committee that examines two Arizona electoral policies that suppress voting rights for marginalized communities. In a 6-3 decision, the Court upheld Arizona’s policies weakening Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, which allows voters to seek relief if a state or local government denies or abridges voting rights based on race.
In 2016, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and the Arizona Democratic Party challenged the two electoral policies, and in 2020, the Ninth Circuit Court ruled in favor of the DNC. The Supreme Court’s decision today overturns that ruling.
Human Rights Campaign President Alphonso David issued the following statement:
Voting is a sacred expression of our shared commitment to a democratic government and a free civil society. However, the demand for access to the ballot continues to be thwarted by state lawmakers who are maintaining a vicious cycle of injustice, one that disproportionately excludes our most vulnerable communities from their constitutional right to vote. Make no mistake about it: this ruling strikes at the very heart of the Voting Rights Act—a historic piece of legislation enacted at the height of the Civil Rights Movement to safeguard voting rights. Today’s decision has opened the door for state lawmakers across the country to more easily suppress our right to a free and fair election.
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