Earlier this mont we relaunched our efforts with a kickoff event at the Newseum in Washington (video) called “Creating The Voting Rights Act Of 2012.” Thursday in the New York Times UC Irvine professor and blogger Rick Hasen called for just that.

Congress needs to pass a new Voting Rights Act, national in scope, to move beyond these stale debates. We need fair, nonpartisan standards for election administration, that ensure that all eligible voters, and only eligible voters, get to vote, and that minority voting rights are protected.

If minority voters can’t count on the courts, let’s hope Congress acts. Otherwise, expect to see more states enact additional restrictions on voting and draw new electoral districts that will decrease minority voting strength.

You can read professor Hasen’s full Times op-ed here.