NC city wants voting rights exemption

Submitted by bniolet on August 5, 2009 - 8:03am.
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Kings Mountain has asked for a bailout.

Don't panic. "Bailout" is the term used by the Justice Department when a government asks to be excused from the "preclearance" requirement of the Voting Rights Act. Preclearance is required for certain jurisdictions, predominantly in the South, who want to make changes to their elections.

A recent Supreme Court case allowed local governments to seek exemptions and Kings Mountain, which is located west of Gastonia, is the first local government to ask for an exemption, reports The Blog of Legal Times.

Hat tip: David Ingram

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Re: NC city wants voting rights exemption

Submitted by pasketanki on August 5, 2009 - 10:12am.

It's my understanding that localities have always been able to seek a bailout under the Section 5 preclearance requirement. At least nine jurisdictions did just that, long before Northwest Austin blah blah v. Holder. SCOTUS didn't really "allow" anything at all; at best it merely clarified the meaning of "political subdivision" to include the Northwest Austin blah blah blah.

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