Natty's Court Cases + Documents

Bush v. Gore - Q1 and Q2

Recount dispute in Florida's 2000 presidential election between George W. Bush and Al Gore

Fed 68 - Q1

"The Mode of Electing the President," defends the Constitutional convention's creation of the Electoral College

Chiafalo v. Washington - Q1

Laws that make electors have to vote for the popular vote does not violate their 1st amendment right

Thornburg v. Gingles - Q3

Established the legal standards for proving vote dilution under section 2 of the VRA. 1. plaintiffs must prove that the minority group is large and geographically compact to constitute a majority, 2. plaintiffs must show that the minority group is politically cohesive, 3. plaintiffs must show that the political process is not “equally open” to minority voters.

South Carolina v. Katzenbach - Q3

Declared that section 2 of the VRA was constitutional. The enforcement clause of the Fifteenth Amendment gave Congress "full remedial powers" to prevent racial discrimination in voting,

Shelby County v. Holder - Q3

Declared that section 4 and 5 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 is unconstitutional

Brnovich v. DNC - Q3

Neither Arizona’s out-of-precinct policy nor H.B. 2023, the ballot-collection law, violates Section 2 of the VRA. Neither imposes burdens on voters that exceed the “usual burdens of voting,” and any racial disparity in burdens is “small in absolute terms.”

Allen v. Milligan - Q3

Alabama’s redistricting map likely violates Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act

Northwest Austin v. Holder - Q3

The Supreme Court held that the VRA permits all smaller utility districts and cities can get bailout from the preclearance requirements of the VRA

VRA - Q3

Prohibits racial discrimination in voting, aiming to enforce the 15th Amendment and secure ballot access for minorities

City of Boerne v. Flores - Q3

For Congress to properly use their Section 5 power, they have to make sure the laws they make are "congruent and proportional" to the constitutional injury it seeks to address. In this case the RFRA failed this test because it was not tailored to address any specific unconstitutional conduct by the states.

John R Lewis VRA - Q3

Similar to sections 4 & 5 of the VRA but instead of preclearnce states, certain voting changes are subject to federal approval

Katzenbach v. Morgen - Q3

The Supreme Court held that Section 4 is a proper exercise of the powers granted to Congress

Guinn v. US - Q3

Found certain grandfather clause exemptions to literacy tests for voting rights to be unconstitutional