US supreme court deals blow to voting rights by upholding Arizona restrictions

• Court curbs challenges to restrictive laws on racial grounds
• Justices uphold statutes that restrict mail-in ballots

The US supreme court has upheld two Arizona voting restrictions in a ruling that dealt a major blow to the Voting Rights Act, the landmark 1965 civil rights law designed to prevent voting discrimination.

In a 6-3 ruling, the justices upheld Arizona statutes that prohibit anyone other than a close family member or caregiver from collecting mail-in ballots, which are widely used in the state.