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AG opens new front on voting rights protection

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WASHINGTON (AP) — Attorney General Eric Holder says the Justice Department is opening a new front in the battle for voting rights.

That's in response to a Supreme Court ruling that was a major setback to voter protections.

Holder is speaking to the Urban League in Philadelphia. The attorney general says the Justice Department is asking a federal court in Texas to make the state get approval in advance before changing its voting laws and practices.

This "pre-approval" requirement from the Justice Department or a federal court is available when intentional voting discrimination is found.