Question

In a 2006 lawsuit, McAdams v. Bush, plaintiffs sought to overturn a section of Florida's voting law. The section in question, passed 142 years ago, bans voting by people with felony convictions. Under this law, more than six hundred thousand people are barred from voting, and one in ten African Americans is barred from voting. McAdams argues that the law violates the Voting Rights Act and the Constitution. After winning his case at trial, but losing in the state supreme court, McAdams asked the U.S. Supreme Court to decide the case and ultimately to rule that the law violates the 1965 Voting Rights Act as well as the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. Given that other states have restored voting rights to former convicts, how would you decide this case? Be sure to make clear references to existing precedent to justify your decision.

Answer

*A. Varies