Headline RoundupJuly 1st, 2021

Supreme Court Says Arizona Voting Laws are Legal

Summary from the AllSides News Team

The Supreme Court said Thursday that Arizona laws banning ballot harvesting and out-of-precinct voting are legal and do not violate the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (VRA). The vote was 6-3 along ideological lines; Justice Samuel Alito wrote the majority opinion, saying the requirements "don't exceed the 'usual burdens of voting.'" Justice Elena Kagan wrote the dissent, saying the Voting Rights Act "should not be diminished by this Court." The decision reversed a 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruling that said Arizona's laws violate the VRA by resulting in racial discrimination. The debate over election integrity and voting rights remains a core political theme; the Justice Department recently sued Georgia over its voting laws, saying they restrict the black vote.

Coverage differed significantly between left- and right-rated sources. Coverage from the left typically framed the laws as restrictive and discriminatory, and highlighted concerns about the ability of minorities to take up legal challenge against voting laws in the future. Reports from the right often framed the laws as justified and highlighted Alito's opinion on why the laws don't violate the VRA. 

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