S.Amdt. 4672

SA 4672, submitted by Ms. Murkowski, aims to amend the Voting Rights Act of 1965 by changing how the government determines which states and political subdivisions are subject to certain voting requirements and adding a new process for practice-based preclearance.

Changes to State and Subdivision Coverage

The amendment modifies the criteria for when a state or political subdivision is subject to the act based on voting rights violations over the previous 25 years:

• Statewide application occurs if there are 15 or more violations, or 10 or more violations where at least one was committed by the state itself.
• Specific political subdivisions are covered if there are three or more violations.
• Duration: Once applied, these requirements last for 10 years.
• Bailout: It provides paths for states or subdivisions to obtain a declaratory judgment to no longer be subject to these requirements.

New Practice-Based Preclearance

The amendment adds a new section (Section 4A) that requires states and political subdivisions to get approval before implementing covered practices.

Covered practices include:

• Election methods: Adding at-large seats or converting single-member districts to at-large seats in specific populations.
• Boundaries: Changing political subdivision boundaries that reduce the percentage of a racial or language minority group by 3 or more percentage points.
• Redistricting: Changing district boundaries where certain minority groups saw a population increase of at least 20 percent over the last decade.
• Voting requirements: Implementing documentation or identity proof requirements more stringent than those in place before the section's enactment.
• Materials: Reducing or altering multilingual voting materials.
• Voting access: Reducing, consolidating, or relocating voting locations or reducing Sunday voting hours in specific areas.
• Voter rolls: Adding new bases for removing voters from registration lists if it has a statistically significant disparate impact on minority groups.

Preclearance Process

To implement a covered practice, a state or subdivision must:

• Obtain a declaratory judgment from a court stating the practice does not deny or abridge the right to vote.
• Alternatively, submit the practice to the Attorney General, who has 60 days to object.