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The conflict over voting rights has put the state of Texas under scrutiny due to a pattern of discrimination observed for decades. In this light, there have been calls for close federal government supervision to curb the practice. Texas is known for its infamous voter identification exercises, which have increased voter restrictions for minority groups in the state. The federal government needs to intervene to prevent discrimination against minority voters by pre-clearing or pre-approving changes in voting policies effected by the state of Texas. This requirement is the most effective tool that the government can use to enforce the Voting Rights Act to prevent discriminatory voting policies before they are used. For many years retrogressive and biased voting policies by the state of Texas have enacted restrictive policies that have suppressed minority voters. Therefore, there is a need for the state to first clear with the federal government before putting into effect any voting policies that might be discriminatory.
The process began when the city of Pasadena, Texas, was put under federal government supervision using the exact provisions of the law. However, these provisions would make sense if the entire state of Texas were under federal government supervision. It would be a significant win for voting rights lobbying groups and minority groups in this jurisdiction. In 2012, a legal suit challenged the validity of congressional and legislative districts created by Texas lawmakers that intentionally discriminated against Latino and black voters (Levine, 2019). The court dismissed the new sections and maps because they were drawn based on racial lines. It approved a temporary fix to be used in the 2012 elections. The Texas discriminatory voting policies prompted Congress to include the pre-clearance provisions when reviewing the Voting Rights Act. The federal government needs to take measures to supervise the state of Texas since it is highly probable that it is likely to use its discriminatory policies of redistricting in the coming elections to discriminate against minority groups.
References
Levine, S. (2019). Texas Discriminated Against Minority Voters Repeatedly. DOJ Doesn’t Care If It Continues. Web.
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