The Voting Rights Act should be applied nationwide

The numerous instances of Republican voter suppression and intimidation makes it very clear to me that something has to be done to ensure the integrity of our elections.

The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was passed to make sure black voters were not disenfranchised. It applies only to Southern states and a few other places. Section 5 of the law requires that ANY change in voting procedures -- such as moving a precinct -- be pre-cleared by the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department or by the U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia.

Section 5 currently applies in Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas and Virginia; and parts of California, Florida, Michigan, New Hampshire, New York City, North Carolina and South Dakota.

BTW, the Voting Rights Act must periodically be extended. It was last extended in 1982 for 25 years. That means it will be up for renewal in 2007.

The VRA was tremendously successful in reversing voter discrimination throughout the South.

If this Act was applied to Ohio, I have no doubt that the Republican Party's intimidation campaign -- as sanctioned by state officials -- would be in violation of Section 2:

SEC. 2. No voting qualification or prerequisite to voting, or standard, practice, or procedure shall be imposed or applied by any State or political subdivision to deny or abridge the right of any citizen of the United States to vote on account of race or color.

...but they just shopped around till they found one who would approve their shit.

The Voting Rights Act does not apply in Ohio.