Virginia is set to become the first southern state with its own voting rights act. Hereâs what it does:
Voters in suburban Henrico's Short Pump precinct cast their ballots. The area saw a surge in Democratic voters after Trump's 2016 election. (Source: Ned Oliver/Virginia Mercury)
By Graham Moomaw | March 12, 2021 at 8:56 AM EST - Updated March 12 at 8:56 AM
When the federal Voting Rights Act passed in 1965, Virginia was one of nine states that drew special attention due to its history of racist election laws. That burden was lifted in 2013 when the U.S. Supreme Court decided enough time had passed that Virginia and other states could stop following an old rule requiring federal permission for changes that might affect minority voters.