ACLU-DE Joint Statement with Rep. Larry Lambert on Supreme Court Voting Rights Act Ruling

Today’s Supreme Court decision in Louisiana v Callais is a profound setback for our democracy. By eviscerating Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act (VRA), making challenging discriminatory voting systems incredibly difficult if not impossible, the Court has undermined one of the last remaining tools that protected voters from racial discrimination in elections.

This decision affects real people and real communities. When a community’s political voice is diluted, so is its ability to secure better schools, safer infrastructure, health care access, environmental protections, and economic opportunity.

In Delaware, we are not immune to these escalating and existential attacks on voting rights. This decision comes amidst the U.S. Department of Justice’s ongoing attempts to obtain our state's full, unredacted voter rolls — the federal government’s latest attempt to erode confidence in our elections, question certified results, and restrict voting access.

With federal VRA protections that the Civil Rights Movement fought and bled for disregarded yet again, now is the time for Delaware’s state legislators to step up and safeguard the voting rights of all Delaware voters, especially voters of color.

“In light of this decision, I am reaffirming today my commitment to introducing a state-level Voting Rights Act as soon as possible,” said Representative Lambert. “Time is of the essence to ensure all Delaware voters can fully and equally participate in democracy. Once our bill is ready, I hope my colleagues will support our legislation.”

“The ACLU of Delaware has launched a campaign calling on the Delaware General Assembly to enact this state-level Voting Rights Act immediately,” said Andrew Bernstein, ACLU-DE Civic Engagement Counsel. “Our community will make its voice heard and push back against this attack on our rights.”

The majority of Delawareans are in favor of enacting a state-level VRA. For Delawareans, it’s clear —protecting voting rights is protecting democracy.
Today’s decision is a call to action, and the General Assembly must answer it. By enacting a state-level VRA we can reaffirm our state’s values and make it clear that in Delaware, discrimination of any kind is not tolerated in our elections.

Learn more about the Delaware Voting Rights Act Campaign: https://www.aclu-de.org/campaigns-initiatives/vra/

Send a message to the Delaware General Assembly urging them to commit to introducing and supporting a Delaware Voting Rights Act: https://action.aclu.org/send-message/devra

Register for a virtual briefing about the Supreme Court decision, its implications, and the Delaware Voting Rights Act campaign on Friday, May 8, from 12 – 1 p.m.: https://action.aclu.org/webform/callais-briefing