Supreme Court strikes down Section 4 coverage formula in Shelby County, gutting Section 5 preclearance

The Supreme Court rules 5-4 in Shelby County v. Holder that the coverage formula in Section 4(b) of the Voting Rights Act is unconstitutional, effectively disabling Section 5 preclearance requirements. Chief Justice John Roberts writes that the formula, which used 1965 and 1972 voting data to determine which states must seek federal approval before changing election laws, is based on "40-year-old facts having no logical relationship to the present day." Because Section 5 relies on Section 4(b) to identify covered jurisdictions, the ruling immediately frees Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, Louisiana, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, Alaska, and Arizona to change voting laws without DOJ approval. Within hours of the ruling, Texas announces it will implement a voter ID law previously blocked under preclearance.