The challenge to section five began two years ago. (OZinOH, Creative Commons)

The Supreme Court decided to review Section 5 of the landmark 1965 Voting Rights Act, the section that has historically been the most important protection for minority voting rights when it comes to the polls.

It requires states with a history of discrimination to obtain federal approval before making changes to existing voting laws. The challenge to the law was made two years ago from Shelby County, Alabama, which holds that the states to which the law applies have made progress and no longer need to be subjected to the law.

This voting rights case is one in a term full of civil rights cases for the Supreme Court. Last week, the Court heard a case on affirmative action, and later this month will decide whether to hear a case on same-sex marriage.

Read more of Neon Tommy's coverage of the Supreme Court here.

Reach Executive Producer Cara Palmer here; follow her here.