The US Voting Rights Act
The landmark 1965 law that transformed American democracy, its enforcement, and its ongoing erosion.
What the VRA Did
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was the most consequential voting legislation in American history. Section 2 banned any voting practice or procedure that discriminates on the basis of race, and it applies nationwide and permanently. Section 5, the 'preclearance' provision, required jurisdictions with a history of discrimination to obtain federal approval (from the Department of Justice or a federal court) before changing any voting rules. This meant states could not erect new barriers without federal review.
The impact was immediate and dramatic. In Mississippi, Black voter registration jumped from 6.7 percent in 1964 to 59.8 percent by 1968. Across the South, thousands of Black candidates were elected to office for the first time since Reconstruction. The preclearance requirement was particularly effective because it shifted the burden of proof: instead of citizens having to sue after discriminatory laws were enacted, jurisdictions had to prove their changes were not discriminatory before they could take effect.
