U.S. Supreme Court Send Two Voting Rights Act Cases Back to Lower Courts

Two cases had been pending in the U.S. Supreme Court over whether private individuals and groups can sue under the Voting Rights Act, or whether only the federal government can bring a lawsuit charging a state with violating the Voting Rights Act. On May 18, the U.S. Supreme Court send both of them back to the lower circuit courts, and directed that they be reconsidered. In the lower courts, One of them, from the 5th circuit, had said anyone can sue. The other one, from the 8th circuit, had said only the federal government can sue.

The two cases are Board of Election Commissioners v NAACP, 25-234; and Turtle Mountain Band v Howe, 25-253.