Voting Rights Act
- A law enacted in 1965 that eliminated numerous tactics formerly used in Southern states to limit voting access for Black Americans. Prior to it, many Black Americans still struggled to vote in spite of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, due to various discriminatory practices. To combat this, the Voting Rights Act abolished measures like literacy tests, permitted federal intervention in instances of voter discrimination, and thus significantly boosted the registration of Black voters, reshaping Southern politics. However, in 2013, the aspect of the law requiring specific districts to have federal approval prior to adjusting their election rules was deemed unconstitutional by the Supreme Court
- The Voting Rights Act played a significant role in ensuring the voting rights of black Americans in the South.
- An increase in black voter registration in Southern states followed after the Voting Rights Act was signed into law.
- Some districts, originally required to get federal approval for changing election procedures under the Voting Rights Act, challenged this provision, which was later deemed unconstitutional.
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