"No statute in our history illustrates America's commitment to inclusive democracy more clearly than the Voting Rights Act, and Section 5 lies at its heart. Since its passage, Section 5 has helped prevent and deter racially discriminatory voting practices that would otherwise deny or abridge our citizen's right to vote," said John Payton, LDF's president and director-counsel.

The Petitioner has argued that the election of President Barack Obama, the nation's first African-American president, demonstrates that the country no longer needs a Voting Rights Act. LDF's brief argues that "while the historically significant election of the nation's first African-American president represents a milestone that was not visible in 1965, no event, no matter how significant can instantaneously erase the legacy of Jim Crow and its enduring effects." Moreover, the brief concludes that Section 5 plays a key role in moving the country closer to "the inclusive democracy it strives to become."