Final answer:
The Supreme Court's decision in Shelby County v. Holder (2013) struck down critical provisions of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, resulting in states no longer needing federal approval to change voting procedures. Subsequently, a wave of restrictive voting laws emerged in several states, sparking further legal battles.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Supreme Court has indeed made critical decisions regarding voting rights since 2000. One such influential case was Shelby County v. Holder (2013), which had profound effects on the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (VRA). The Court ruled that the pre-clearance requirements that certain states had to meet before changing their voting laws, as outlined in the VRA, were outdated and unconstitutional.
This decision, with a 5-4 vote, meant that states with historical patterns of racial discrimination no longer needed federal approval to change their voting procedures. Following this ruling, numerous states, especially those with Republican-majority legislatures, implemented new laws that potentially limited voters' access and rights. Consequently, these restrictions included, but were not limited to, the introduction of strict photo ID requirements, cutbacks on early voting, reduction of ballot drop-off locations, and more complex registration processes. These changes have been contentious and have led to further legal challenges aiming to protect voting rights.