Voting Rights Decision: Why it's important

The ruling came in an Alabama case, Shelby County vs. Holder, which challenges Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act. That section requires all or parts of states with a history of discriminatory practices — mostly in the South and West — to submit any change in their voting systems to the Justice Department for approval before enacting them.

The ruling will affect the future role of federal oversight in several states, including Georgia, that have been moving to make voter eligibility more stringent.