Politics & Government

Manassas Park One Step Closer to Voting "Bailout" Approval from Feds

The City of Manassas Park is one step closer to being exempt from some provisions in the Voting Rights Act established 45 years ago to prohibit discriminatory practices in elections.

The City of Manassas Park is one step closer to being exempt from some provisions in the Voting Rights Act established 45 years ago to prohibit discriminatory practices in elections.

 The  U.S. Justice Department agreed today to allow the city to be exempt from having to get preclearance from the U.S. District Court before city officials make any changes to voting qualifications, voting standards, and the practices and procedures of voting. A three-judge panel in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia must approve the agreement before it is final.

 The extra federal oversight is expensive for city and county governments and these types of requests have become more common in the past 10 years as a way for local governments to cut costs.

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 Section 4 of the Voting Rights Act allows jurisdictions to petition for a “bailout” of some provisions, which requires an investigation by the U.S. Attorney General of the jurisdiction’s election process and a 10-year history of flawless civil rights complaints or problems.


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