The Voting Rights Act of 1965 celebrated its 60th anniversary last week.
According to the National Archives, it was signed into law on Aug. 6, 1965, by President Lyndon Johnson. It outlawed discriminatory voting practices adopted in many Southern states after the Civil War, notably enforcing the voting rights protected by the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments that secure the right to vote for racial minorities.
According to the National Archives, “The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was the most significant statutory change in the relationship between the federal and state governments in the area of voting since the Reconstruction period following the Civil War. It had an immediate impact when it was passed. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was readopted and strengthened in 1970, 1975, and 1982.”
The act’s “general provisions” provided nationwide protections to prevent discriminatory action including banning voting rules that would deny anyone based on race, color, or a language minority group and outlawing literacy tests and other means that affected one’s ability to vote based on upbringing or skillsets.
Despite being 60 years old, the act continues to be changed and discussed in modern days. According to History. com, the Voting Rights Act was amended to include the protection of voting rights for non-English speaking American citizens. In 2013, the Shelby County v. Holder decision determined the act’s constraints “placed on certain states and federal review of states’ voting procedures were outdated.”
As a response, several states began enacting laws limiting voter access, including ID requirements, limits on early voting, mail-in voting and more which continue to be a prevalent discussion.
“The law has been slowly eroding for more than a decade, starting with the 2013 Supreme Court decision ending the requirement that all or parts of 15 states with a history of discrimination in voting get federal approval before changing the way they hold elections,” the Associated Press stated in “Protections of the Voting Rights Act are under threat as the law marks its 60th anniversary.”
The AP article also states the Supreme Court upheld the Voting Rights Act in 2023 during a congressional redistricting case from Alabama, but forewarns the court is to hear another case regarding the act that could further change it.
As the world celebrates the passing anniversary and continues to discuss voting rights, remember the discussion began when Johnson signed the act into law on Aug. 6, 1965, with Martin Luther King Jr. and several other civil rights leaders present at the ceremony.
— Contributed