Voting Rights Overview
Disenfranchisement and Legislative Remedies
The Voting Rights Act, adopted initially in 1965 and extended in 1970, 1975, and 1982, is generally considered the most successful piece of civil rights legislation ever adopted by the United States Congress. The Act codifies and effectuates the Fifteenth Amendment’s permanent guarantee that, throughout the Nation, no person shall be denied the right to vote on account of race or color. In addition, the Act contains several special provisions that impose even more stringent requirements in certain jurisdictions throughout the country. Adopted at a time when African Americans were substantially disfranchised in many southern States, the Act employed measures…
