Is the Voting Rights Act Dead? (with Janai Nelson)

Is the Voting Rights Act Dead? (with Janai Nelson)

From Stay Tuned with Preet by Preet Bharara

May 5, 2026 · 12 min

About this episode

Joyce Vance speaks with Janai Nelson about the implications of the Supreme Court's ruling on the Voting Rights Act.

Is the Voting Rights Act dead? On this week’s Insider podcast, Joyce Vance speaks with President and Director-Counsel of the NAACP’s Legal Defense Fund, Janai Nelson, while Preet is out. They break down the Supreme Court’s decision in a major voting rights case, Louisiana v. Callais, which Nelson argued before the Court, and what the ruling means for the future of the Voting Rights Act. This segment is available for free to listeners of Stay Tuned. To hear the full episode, become a member at cafe.com/insider or staytuned.substack.com/subscribe. You’ll also get access to other exclusive content. In the full episode, Joyce and Janai delve into the preparation and process of arguing a case before the Supreme Court. Plus, what Supreme Court reform could look like and whether Congress will help reestablish the Voting Rights Act. CAFE Insiders click HERE to listen to the full analysis. Join Preet Bharara and Barb McQuade live at the 92NY on May 31st: cafe.com/barb Subscribe to our YouTube channel. This podcast is brought to you by CAFE and Vox Media Podcast Network. Executive Producer: Tamara Sepper; Supervising Producer: Jake Kaplan; Associate Producer: Claudia Hernández; Senior…

People in this episode

Host: Preet Bharara

Guest: Janai Nelson

Topics covered

  • Voting Rights
  • Supreme Court
  • Legal Defense
  • Political Reform
  • Civil Rights

Keywords

  • Voting Rights Act
  • Supreme Court
  • Janai Nelson
  • Louisiana v. Callais
  • Civil Rights
  • Legal Defense Fund
  • Political Reform

Sponsors

CAFE

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: NAACP, Vox Media Podcast Network, CAFE

Books & works: Voting Rights Act, Louisiana v. Callais

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