SCOTUS strikes down VRA coverage formula 5-4 in Shelby County v. Holder gutting preclearance

The Supreme Court rules 5-4 in Shelby County v. Holder that the Voting Rights Act's Section 4(b) coverage formula, which determines which states must obtain federal preclearance before changing voting laws, is unconstitutional because it relies on 1960s and 1970s data that no longer reflects current conditions. Chief Justice John Roberts writes the majority opinion. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg writes a dissent comparing the decision to "throwing away your umbrella in a rainstorm." Without a valid coverage formula, Section 5 preclearance becomes unenforceable. Within hours of the ruling, Texas and other states begin enacting voting restrictions that had previously been blocked.