New York, California, Mississippi And North Carolina File Joint Defense Against Constitutional Challenge; Coalition Argues Law Provides Important Protections For Minority Voters And That Compliance Poses No Undue Burden Or Cost On States

South Carolina’s Attorney General would disagree.  Section 5 compliance posed a 3.5 million-dollar “undue cost” on that state. 

Merced County, California also found Section 5 compliance costly and burdensome enough to apply for a bailout last year:

District 1 Supervisor John Pedrozo said getting out from under Section 5 of the act will make it easier and cheaper for the county to operate… Pedrozo said he’s happy the county is making progress to move beyond the cost and extra steps involved with Section 5… County Counsel James Fincher said that over the past decade, the county has spent about $1 million in legal costs and fees related to Section 5.

Despite hyperbolic headlines implying that the whole of the Voting Rights Act is targeted for destruction, purportedly for no other reason than to turn back the clock on civil rights, the fact is that Section 2 will continue protecting voters in all states against discriminatory practices regardless of the outcome of Shelby, and as amended in 1982, Section 2 offers expansive opportunities for plaintiffs to establish claims. 

Schneiderman’s coalition seems to be offering a defense in search of an attack.