An Overview of the Voting Rights Act of 1965

January 29, 2011 By Leave a Comment

The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was a momentous part of United States history in that it outlawed the discriminatory voting practices that had been responsible for the exclusion of African Americans from voting in the United States.

A Verbatim Statement of the Act

The act specifically prohibits all U.S. states from “…imposing an voting qualification or prerequisite to voting, or standard, or practice, or procedure…to deny or abridge the right of any citizen of the United States to vote on account of race or color.” Congress initially intended the act to outlaw the requirement of citizens to pass a literacy test prior to voter registration. This was an underhanded means by which Southern States thwarted African Americans from applying their rights.

A Summary of the Act

Democratic President Lyndon B. Johnson signed this bill into a law following the signing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The Act specifically established federal control over elections in those states that have historically proven discriminatory voting practices. In order for those states to implement any changes to the state voting laws, they must first contact the Department of Justice for pre-clearance. The majority of these states were situated in the south.

The Renewal of the Act

Temporary sections of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 have been renewed on four different occasions to remain in place. The dates of renewal were 1970, 1975, 1982 and 2006. Congress amended the Act to make a few sections permanent while the most controversial segment, section 5, was to be temporary with constant renewal. The last president to renew the Act was George W. Bush in 2006. The renewal extended the act for another 25 years. When former President Bush signed the act, family members of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks were present in the audience.

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Voting Rights Act

January 13, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Seven Civil Rights Acts over a hundred year period was not enough to stop groups from intentionally denying minorities and women the right to vote.  Even legislating offenses as a federal crime did not stop organized efforts to prevent voting .  The laws were good, but the process on enacting the law was slow.  This gave local officials and entities time to openly and subtlety  discriminate and threaten people into not voting.  If votes made it to an election legitimately, then the election count remained as is.

Starting about 1965 Congress created the Voting Rights Act to cover the gap in the process that Civil Rights Acts could not cover.  At this time African Americans demonstrated across the country against voting discrimination.  People and institutions intentionally ignored the Civil Rights Act.  In response the federal government used the act to enroll thousands of minority voters.  It resulted in many African Americans elected to office.

Congress improved the Voting Rights Act in 1970, 1975, and 1982.  In 1970 Congress added uniform rules for absentee registration and voting in presidential elections.  The act in 1975 broadened to requiring bilingual ballots, insisting election law changes had approval from the United States Attorney or a federal court, and began specific protection of voting rights for Hispanics, Alaskan natives, American Indians, and Asian Americans. The 1982 act extends the law for twenty-five years and declares the intent to discriminate does not need proof if elections results show otherwise.

The act has worked well.  Today, several million minorities have registered to vote. The application of federal power to correct abuses at state and local levels is what the Constitution’s balance of power between the branches is for. Having an African American president today is most likely a direct result of the implementation of the Voting Rights Act.

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Appreciating Your Vote

December 15, 2010 By Leave a Comment

It’s easy to take it for granted when you head down to your local polling place to vote in November. For many of Americans, that is simply how it has always been. We may make it there, we may not, depending on how busy we are and how strongly we feel about any issue or candidate on this year’s particular ballot. Sometimes it can only feel tedious, but a little futile. What can one vote do? When sentiments like this start to creep up, and they will, it is crucial for the American voter to step back and look at the right that has been afforded to them. Participation in government is by no means a guarantee. For those living in a country where voting feels like a given ” or worse, a burden ” it can be valuable to look back on what brought these rights to where they are today. Though the United States was founded on the merits of democracy, it was admittedly limited from the outset. Though elections were held by the people, early American voters consisted only of a select number of property owning white males, which is obviously not the inclusive system in place today. Over time, various pitfalls appeared and were overcome in the battle for comprehensive suffrage among US citizens. Literacy tests appeared in order to exclude certain minorities, they have since disappeared. Poll taxes and religious requirements are a thing of the past. The 15th amendment provided for a much wider definition of voting rights, and was upheld by the voting rights act of 1965. Women gained the right to vote with the ratification of the 19th amendment, and voting rights are still high point of interest in this country. So, when election day rolls around, remember what a privilege it is to have the right to participate, and make sure you get out and use that vote.

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Head to the Voting Booth Instead of the Poker Table

August 4, 2010 By Leave a Comment

One of the great things about being American is the privilege to elect candidates into office. It gives Americans the opportunity to put the people they think best represent them and their needs into public office at all levels, from the community to the Presidency.

However, this ability was not always available to all Americans. Before 1965, African Americans were not allowed to vote in the United States.  In 1965, the Voting Rights Act was adopted. According to this law, it is unlawful for states to use discriminatory practices in order to exclude someone of any color or race from voting. This was designed to allow all the right to vote by excluding common prejudiced practices of the time, including literacy requirements, poll taxes, and grandfather clauses.  These grandfather clauses were used as a loophole to allow illiterate white voters the ability to vote by stating that anyone whose grandfathers voted were allowed to vote regardless of ability to read.

Since then, the act has been revised a renewed a number of times. For example, recent revisions state that any voting municipality that receives requests for ballots in another language must comply.   However, even though the Voting Rights Act may sound like it provides all Americans with a basic right to vote, no Federal Law is in act that declares this. Many states are given the right to determine whether or not to give ex-felons the ability to vote, or to implement voter ID laws to discourage fraud.

As a result of the Voter Rights Act of 1965, many people who were previously unable to vote are now able to. All Americans should take advantage of this opportunity, so when the next election arrives, instead of heading to the poker tables, head to the voting booths and exercise your freedom to vote.

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