Recently, the Supreme Court of The United States (SCOTUS) has been under scrutiny for its impact on voting rights and democracy. Noted legal scholar and author Josh Douglas explores these critical issues in his latest book, “The Court v. The Voters: The Troubling Story of How the Supreme Court Has Undermined Voting Rights”. According to Douglas, the Supreme Court has exhibited trends of being anti-democratic and anti-voter over an extended period.
Douglas’s narrative is rich in legal history and insights. It begins with reference to ‘Anderson v. Celebrezze’, a 1983 case that invalidated Ohio’s early filing deadline for independent candidates. He points out how this case unintentionally paved the way for states to limit voter participation.
Following this, Douglas reviews ‘Burdick v. Takushi’, a 1992 case that upheld Hawaii’s prohibition on write-in voting, ‘Crawford v. Marion County Election Board’, a case related to voter ID issues, and ‘Richardson v. Ramirez’, a 1974 case that backed the barring of convicted felons from voting after completing their sentence and parole.
The book also critically assesses landmark cases such as ‘Citizens United’, ‘Bush v. Gore’, and ‘Shelby v. Holder’, focusing on their profound impacts on voters, particularly those who are disenfranchised. Moreover, Douglas discusses the Supreme Court’s lack of intervention in significant gerrymandering cases.
Most recently, ‘Brnovich v. DNC’ – a case arising out of Arizona law invalidating out-of-precinct voting and ballot collection – saw the Supreme Court upholding these restrictions, which Douglas notes, could adversely affect voters who are not affluent and already face long waiting times.
Despite painting a somber picture of democracy under SCOTUS’s watch, Douglas’s book does offer hope and potential reforms. However, he argues that considerable care and action are necessary to prevent further undermining of our democratic institutions. The book can be purchased here.
For more details, read the full article.