Preclearance Submissions

NOT CURRENTLY REQUIRED in TEXAS –Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act provides that preclearance may be obtained by submitting the change to the U.S Department of Justice or from the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. 42 U.S.C. 1973c. Previously, any change with respect to voting in a covered jurisdiction -- or any political subunit within it – could not legally be enforced unless and until the jurisdiction first obtains preclearance. However, on June 25, 2013, the United States Supreme Court held that the coverage formula in Section 4(b) of the Voting Rights Act, 42 U.S.C. 1973b(b), as reauthorized by the Voting Rights Act Reauthorization and Amendments Act of 2006, is unconstitutional and can no longer be used as a basis for subjecting jurisdictions to preclearance under Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act. Until Congress passes a law containing a new coverage formula, no states or political subdivisions are covered by Section 5.