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Voting Rights Project

SCOTUS Affirms Washington State’s Voting Rights Protective Measures

The U.S. Supreme Court decided not to review a ruling by the Washington Supreme Court that supports the Washington Voting Rights Act. This action on Gimenez v. Frankin County by the Court means that the measures set by Washington State to prevent unfair reduction of voting power and to guarantee equitable representation for minority voters remain effective.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Alberto Lammers
alammers@luskin.ucla.edu

SCOTUS Affirms Washington State’s Voting Rights Protective Measures

WASHINGTON (April 16, 2024) – On Monday, April 15th, the U.S. Supreme Court decided not to review a ruling by the Washington Supreme Court that supports the Washington Voting Rights Act. This action on Gimenez v. Frankin County by the Court means that the measures set by Washington State to prevent unfair reduction of voting power and to guarantee equitable representation for minority voters remain effective.

“This decision is a clear signal of the enduring strength of voting rights protections through state constitutions,” said Sonni Waknin, program manager and counsel at the UCLA Voting Rights Project. “By leaving the Washington Supreme Court’s decision in place, the U.S. Supreme Court has affirmed that states have the power to enact laws that secure the rights of all voters, particularly those in minority communities. This outcome is not only a victory for the people of Washington, but it’s also an important advancement of voting rights across the U.S. It encourages the work of the UCLA VRP to continue to fight for equitable access to the ballot in every corner of the nation.”

ABOUT THE UCLA VOTING RIGHTS PROJECT

The UCLA Voting Rights Project is the marquee advocacy project of the UCLA Latino Policy and Politics Institute at the University of California, Los Angeles, and is focused on voting rights litigation, research, policy, and training. The UCLA Voting Rights Project addresses overlooked yet monumental gaps in the field of voting rights. The UCLA Voting Rights Project tackles questions of how to train young lawyers and researchers, support the development of new legal and methodological theories for voting rights cases, and advance policy work, to ensure that there will be a new generation of leaders who are pursuing efforts to guarantee all citizens have equal and fair access to our democracy. The project was founded by Chad W. Dunn, J.D., and Matt Barreto, Ph.D. The UCLA Voting Rights Project is located within the Luskin School of Public Affairs.

To learn more about the UCLA Voting Rights Project, please visit https://latino.ucla.edu/votingrights.