Landmark Cases & Legislation

A 2010 Supreme Court decision that fundamentally changed campaign finance law in the United States. The Court ruled that the First Amendment prohibits the government from restricting independent political expenditures by corporations, nonprofits, associations, and labor unions. The decision opened the door to unlimited outside spending in elections and led directly to the rise of super PACs and a significant increase in dark money in American politics. It remains one of the most debated Supreme Court rulings in modern history.

A 2000 Supreme Court decision that effectively decided the presidential election between George W. Bush and Al Gore. The Court halted a statewide manual recount of ballots in Florida, ruling that the inconsistent recount standards being used across counties violated the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment. Because there was no time to implement a uniform standard before the federal deadline, Florida's existing certified results stood, giving Bush the state's electoral votes and the presidency. The decision is widely studied in discussions of judicial power and election administration.

A 2013 Supreme Court decision that struck down the coverage formula used to determine which states and localities were required to get federal approval before changing their voting laws, a process known as preclearance. The formula, established by the Voting Rights Act of 1965, had required states with a documented history of voting discrimination to clear any election law changes with the federal government before they took effect. After the ruling, many of the states previously covered by the formula moved quickly to enact new voting restrictions.

A 2019 Supreme Court decision that ruled federal courts do not have the authority to review or strike down partisan gerrymandering. The Court held that while extreme partisan gerrymandering may be unjust, it is a political question beyond the reach of federal courts. The decision shifted the fight against partisan gerrymandering to state courts and state legislatures, where advocates have had mixed results.

A 1964 Supreme Court decision that established the principle of "one person, one vote" in state legislative districting. The Court ruled that state legislative districts must be drawn so that each district contains roughly the same number of people, ensuring that every citizen's vote carries equal weight. The decision fundamentally reshaped how legislative maps are drawn across the country.

A 1966 Supreme Court decision that struck down Virginia's poll tax for state elections, ruling that it violated the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment. The decision extended the prohibition on poll taxes beyond federal elections, which had already been addressed by the 24th Amendment, and reinforced the principle that wealth cannot be used as a condition for exercising the right to vote.

A 2008 Supreme Court decision that upheld Indiana's strict photo identification requirement for in-person voting. The Court ruled that the state's interest in preventing voter fraud and protecting election integrity was sufficient to justify the requirement, even though the challengers argued it placed an undue burden on eligible voters who lacked the required ID. The decision has been cited in debates over voter ID laws across the country ever since.

One of the most significant pieces of civil rights legislation in American history, the Voting Rights Act prohibited discriminatory voting practices and provided federal mechanisms to enforce the voting rights guaranteed by the 14th and 15th Amendments. The law banned literacy tests, authorized federal oversight of elections in jurisdictions with a history of discrimination, and required certain states to get federal approval before changing their election laws. Though portions of the law have been weakened by Supreme Court decisions, it remains a critical legal framework for protecting voting access.

A 1993 federal law that made it easier for eligible Americans to register to vote by requiring states to offer voter registration opportunities at motor vehicle offices, public assistance agencies, and other government offices. The law also established rules for maintaining accurate voter rolls. It is commonly known as the Motor Voter Act and significantly increased the number of registered voters in the United States.

A 2002 federal law passed in response to the widespread election administration problems exposed during the 2000 presidential election. HAVA established minimum standards for election administration across the country, created the Election Assistance Commission, required provisional ballots for voters whose eligibility is questioned at the polls, and provided funding to states to upgrade voting equipment and improve election systems.

A 2002 federal law that sought to limit the influence of money in federal elections. It banned national political parties from raising and spending unregulated "soft money," restricted the use of corporate and union funds for political advertising close to an election, and increased disclosure requirements for campaign contributions. Key provisions of the law were later weakened or struck down by subsequent Supreme Court decisions, including Citizens United v. FEC.

A federal law, originally passed in 1971 and significantly amended in 1974 following the Watergate scandal, that established the framework for regulating the financing of federal elections. The law created contribution limits for candidates, required public disclosure of campaign contributions and expenditures, established the public financing system for presidential campaigns, and created the Federal Election Commission to enforce campaign finance rules.