DURHAM, N.C. - The Supreme Court on Monday upheld a 25-year extension of Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act, which requires certain states to receive approval from federal authorities before changing election laws or procedures. Every Justice except Clarence Thomas voted to uphold Section 5 in the case of Northwest Austin Municipal Utility District v. Holder.

The following Duke University legal expert is available to comment on this decision:

-- Guy-Uriel Charles, a visiting professor who will join the Duke Law faculty in July, is a leading expert and frequent commentator in the areas of constitutional law, civil procedure, election law, law and politics, and race. (919) 613-7191 or charles@law.duke.edu

Charles comes to Duke from the University of Minnesota Law School, where he is the Russell M. and Elizabeth M. Bennett Professor of Law. Charles's articles have appeared in Constitutional Commentary, The Michigan Law Review, The Michigan Journal of Race and Law, The Georgetown Law Journal, The Journal of Politics, The California Law Review, and The North Carolina Law Review. Charles co-authored an op-ed about the voting rights act and Northwest Austin Municipal Utility District v. Holder in May -- http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-charles25-2009may25,0,5839771.story.



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