In voting news, a new study by the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights has found nearly 1,700 polling places have been closed since the Supreme Court gutted the Voting Rights Act in 2013. The study focused on Southern states and other areas impacted by the court’s decision. On Tuesday, the head of the Leadership Conference, Vanita Gupta, testified before Congress.

Vanita Gupta: “Polling place closures and consolidation can be a pernicious tactic for disenfranchising voters, particularly voters of color, older voters, rural voters and voters with disabilities. And since the Shelby decision, jurisdictions are closing polling places at an alarming speed.”