The decision focuses on Section 4 of the Act.
Writing for the majority, Chief Justice John Roberts writes that the decision "in no way affects the permanent, nationwide ban on racial discrimination in voting found in [Section] 2. We issue no holding on [Section] 5 itself, only on the coverage formula. Congress may draft another formula based on current conditions."
Legal scholar Jeffrey Toobin tells CNN that the court has effectively said "times have changed so much that the formula [for deciding which states are more prone to discriminate] is invalid."
And by striking Section 4, he said, "in practice, the other section of the law – Section 5 — is dormant."
