Holder on Shelby County v. Holder

The Department of Justice will continue to carefully monitor jurisdictions around the country for voting changes that may hamper voting rights.  Let me be very clear:  we will not hesitate to take swift enforcement action – using every legal tool that remains available to us – against any jurisdiction that seeks to take advantage of the Supreme Court’s ruling by hindering eligible citizens’ full and free exercise of the franchise. As the President has made clear, Congress needs to act to make sure every American has equal access to the polls.  The Department also will work with Congress and other elected and community leaders to formulate potential legislative proposals to address voting rights discrimination – because, on their own, existing statutes cannot totally fill the void left by today’s Supreme Court ruling.  And I am hopeful that new protections can and will pass in this session of Congress.

Department of Justice