Voting Right Act of 1965

Rights Act of 1965 Summary

Fig. 2 Lyndon B. Johnson

The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson on August 6, 1965. It was considered a matter of urgency in light of the violence that had recently occurred in Selma, Alabama, where four civil rights activists were killed, and was, by the words of Johnson himself, a fitting tribute to the legacy of assassinated former President John F. Kennedy. Kennedy had been assassinated only the year before and having been staunch advocate of the bill and equal rights in general, his shadow loomed large over the passage of this law.

So, what makes up the crux of the Voting Rights Act, you might ask? Before investigating that, to understand the context better, we have to look at the powder keg of events leading up to it, which created the urgent need for President Johnson to sign the VRA.

History of Voting Rights Act of 1965

Timeline of events leading up to the Voting Rights Act of 1965

Fig. 4 President Ronald Reagan at the signing ceremony for Voting Rights Act legislation

Provisions of the Civil Rights Act of 1964

Key provisions of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 are listed as follows:

• Title II - banned discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, or sex in public accommodations affected by interstate commerce, including restaurants, movie theatres, sports arenas, or other public facilities.
• Title III - authorized the Attorney General to provide legal services free of charge in discrimination lawsuits to those who cannot afford it, or whose employment would be adversely affected by such a lawsuit.
• Title IV - looked to ensure desegregation by enforcing federal law in states that were not in compliance.
• Title VI - ensured that any institution, employer or union funded by the federal government would lose such funding if found to engage in the above-mentioned discriminatory practices on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, or sex.²

History of Voting Rights Act of 1965

The Voting Rights Act of 1965 built on the protections offered in the Civil Rights Act.

• Section 2 - outlawed denial of voting rights based on race.
• Section 3 - allows for the appointment of federal examiners in covered districts to ensure standards are upheld.
• Section 4 - outlaws literacy tests for registering voters.
• Section 5 - provides for pre-clearance through the federal government of any new state voter practices or standards.
• Section - criminalized the interference of voting rights.

Voting Rights Act of 1965 Impact

The Voting Rights Act of 1965 had the greatest impact on the relationship between the states and federal government than any other piece of legislation since the Reconstruction period following the Civil War. Immediately there were challenges to be faced. From 1965 to 1969 the Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of several provisions requiring federal oversight in voting districts.

By the end of the year 1965, 250,000 new Black voters had registered in the states affected by the new law. By the end of 1966, four out of 13 of the states affected had less than 50 percent of their African Americans voting in elections. The Act was re-adopted in 1970, 1975, and 1982.

Fig. 5 Signs and poster from Black Lives Matter protests

Voting Rights Act of 1965 Amendments

The Voting Rights Act has been amended and expanded over the years. The law has also been modified in terms of lifting certain requirements. The Supreme Court handed down a decision which removed federal limitations that had been in place in the states that were previously covered by the law. The Shelby County vs. Holder decision of 2013 determined that these provisions were outdated in some jurisdictions. In the aftermath of this decision, several of the states put into place laws that limited voter access, especially regarding identification, mail-in voting, and early voting.