According to the report, this reduction was achieved after the U.S. Supreme Court, in June 2013, struck down a section of the Voting Rights Bill of 1964 that required these jurisdictions to get federal Department of Justice approval before they could make any changes to their election. The Education Fund surveyed 757 of 861 counties that are covered by the Voting Rights Act to determine the number of closed polling stations. The study didn’t collect information from counties that it couldn’t get accurate information. The section of the national report that was focused on Mississippi showed that there were 98 poll closings. This closely matches the totals reported by Mississippi Today before the November midterm elections. Based on its report, the Education Fund, an arm of Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights’ research arm, has urged Congress to pass the Voting Rights Advancedment Act. This will, among other things restore federal approval for elections changes in states such as Mississippi that have had a history voter discrimination. If the data used to determine preclearance is accurate, the Supreme Court could allow Congress to restore the need for federal approval. The Voting Rights Amendment Act would amend the original Voting rights Act to require federal approval for any jurisdiction with a history of discrimination. The bill would cover states that have had 15 or more voting rights violations in the last 25 years, or 10, if a state has enacted such violations. The proposal would still cover Mississippi. The polling place is second only to the ballot. It is the most visible element of democracy’s voting process. It must be available to everyone. It can create barriers that make it difficult to participate. The report Democracy Diverted, released Tuesday, stated that moving or closing a polling location — especially without notice or input from the communities — can disrupt our democracy. Leigh Chapman is the program director for voting rights at Education Fund. She said that closing voting locations occurs at a time when voter turnout increases, which could lead to long lines at polling stations. In a telephone interview, she stated that long lines could lead to voter disenfranchisement. “Some people cannot stand in long lines,” she said. The report showed that 750 polling stations were closed in Texas following the Supreme Court decision, while 320 were closed in Arizona and 214 were closed in Georgia. Although the national report acknowledged that there are legitimate reasons for closing polling stations, such as population loss or other reasons, it said that in some cases no valid reasons were given. Chapman stated that officials often cited American with Disabilities Act guidelines for reasons to close polling places in many cases. She said that national standards allow for temporary modifications to ensure polling places are compliant with ADA guidelines. Mississippi law also allows poll workers to deliver a vote to a vehicle parked in the lot to assist voters with disabilities. It is known as curbside voting in law. The ruling by the Supreme Court to strike down the section of Voting Rights Act that required preclearance for election changes was praised by the Mississippi Republican leadership. When the Supreme Court’s ruling was made public, Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann said that “this chapter is closed.” “Mississippi citizens are entitled to decide our voting processes,” Hosemann said when the Supreme Court ruling was released. Hosemann was currently enacting legislation that required citizens to show a government-issued photo ID to vote. Federal approval was not required to pass the law, as it was already ruled. The original Voting Rights Act (from 1964) required that all election changes made in nine states, mainly in the South, and six jurisdictions in six states, needed federal approval. The new law proposed would apply to 11 states. The original Voting Rights Bill had a significant impact on African American voter participation, according to the report. For example, Mississippi’s 5 percent black population was registered before the Voting Rights Act was enacted. Before the Voting Rights Act, Mississippi used a variety of tactics to stop blacks voting. These included intimidation and poll taxes. Mississippi voters can use the state secretary’s polling location locator to find out where they can cast their ballot for the November election.