The Voting Rights Act of 1965 (VRA) is one of the most important pieces of civil rights legislation in U.S. history. Its core purpose was to enforce the 15th Amendment, which prohibits racial discrimination in voting, by attacking the practices that states—especially in the South—used to keep Black citizens from voting.
Here’s what it actually did:
1. Banned discriminatory voting practices
- Outlawed literacy tests, “understanding” tests, and other devices that were used to disenfranchise Black voters and other minorities.
- Prohibited intimidation, coercion, or denial of the right to vote based on race or color.
2. Created federal oversight (“preclearance”)
- Certain states and counties with a history of racial discrimination in voting (mainly in the South) had to get approval from the U.S. Department of Justice or a federal court before making any changes to their voting laws or procedures.
- This prevented them from adopting new tricks (like poll taxes, gerrymanders, or voter purges) after old ones were struck down.
3. Authorized federal examiners and registrars
- In areas where discrimination was worst, federal officials could be sent to register voters directly and oversee elections to ensure fairness.
- This bypassed local officials who often blocked Black voter registration.
4. Protected language minorities (added later)
- Amendments in the 1970s expanded protections to groups like Latinos, Native Americans, Asian Americans, and Alaskan Natives by requiring bilingual election materials in certain areas.
5. Made enforcement permanent
- Initially, some provisions were temporary (set to expire after five years), but Congress repeatedly reauthorized and expanded them because discrimination persisted.
Impact:
- Within a few years, voter registration and turnout among Black citizens in the South surged dramatically. For example, in Mississippi Black voter registration jumped from less than 10% in 1964 to nearly 60% by 1968.
- It gave the federal government real power to enforce voting rights, something that had been promised since 1870 but undermined by Jim Crow laws.
