The right to vote is one of the most basic freedoms we have as American citizens, however today's ruling by the United States Supreme Court undermines the landmark Voting Rights Act and jeopardizes fundamental protections in our electoral process.

From the height of the civil rights movement in the 1960's, the Voting Rights Act has been a pillar in ensuring that all Americans - and all New Yorkers - are able to be a part of the electoral process. Just this past election cycle, the Voting Rights Act was essential in protecting voters from insidious attempts to enforce identification requirements and other methods to discourage certain voters.

It is baffling that the Supreme Court, while recognizing that voting discrimination still exists, voted to overturn the very protections afforded by the Voting Rights Act. In order to protect every person's right to vote, Congress must expeditiously develop an update on the Voting Rights Act pre-clearance formula and work to uphold the tenets of democracy that Americans pride themselves on.