The Voting Rights Act - 1549 Words

On June 25, 2013, the Supreme Court made its final decision on the Shelby County, Alabama v Holder, deeming Section 4 of the Voting Rights Act, passed by Congress in 1965 and extended several times, unconstitutional. Section 5, although not being struck down, became insignificant without its triggering formula, Section 4, to determine the coverage. This Supreme Court decision took away the key parts of the Voting Rights Act, which was an important method for the federal government to oversee and enforce the enfranchisement of African-Americans in some states. While justifying their decision, the Court mentioned that Section 4 only applied to specific states and it was against the idea of equal sovereignty of all states in the Constitution. What is more, the Congress’ justification of these unequal actions towards those states in 2006, was based on 40-year old data showing that it was still an exceptional condition, which cannot reflect the current situations and needs of the c ountry. The decision made by the Supreme Court was unjust. On the contrary to the Court’s decision, the Voting Rights Act is still extremely important and is needed even wider today, the 21st century, to realize the promises of equality in the U.S. Declaration of Independence and Constitution. The Act played a very important role in increasing black voter rates and against voting dilutions during its service. As discrimination is still a common ideology today and still has impact on legislation, withoutShow MoreRelatedThe Voting Rights Act Of 19652010 Words   |  9 PagesThe Constitution gave each state the right to determine its own voting laws (May 50). This privilege has been amended to ensure that minorities, and other groups who would be otherwise left out of the voting process, are not prevented from voting in federal and state elections. The most prominent piece of legislation ensuring equal treatment of all citizens at the voting booth is the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Amend ed many times since its initial adoption, the Act is generally considered the most successfulRead MoreThe Voting Rights Act of 1965 Essays1217 Words   |  5 Pagesbe caused by pieces of paper. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was a law passed that primarily gave African Americans the right to vote without having to take any sort of literacy tests. African Americans were widely ignored in voting rights because they were forced to take literacy tests to be eligible to vote. Having this event in our nation’s civil rights movement was a landmark that allowed the other half of our nation’s voice to be heard. â€Å"The Voting Rights Act itself has been called the singleRead MoreVoting The Voting Rights Act1446 Words   |  6 PagesPIE, refers to the eligible voting population. The composition of the party in the electorate can help and hurt the candidates running for office, as the electorate can vote candidates either in or out of office. Over the course of American govern ment, the most recent changes and influences to the electorate include the passage of the Voting Rights Act, as well as the recent Supreme Court decision in Shelby County v. Holder. For example, the video Fight for the Right to Vote, features one expertsRead MoreThe Civil Rights Act And Voting Rights1665 Words   |  7 Pagesoppression to progression, yet we still wear our scars and our heads up high. Struggles to expand the breadth of political and civil rights in the United States have been critical to fostering greater inclusion and equality for racial/ethnic minorities in America. Various reforms such as the Civil Rights Act and Voting Rights Acts were implemented during the civil rights era as they helped promote greater inclusion and equity to, but not limited to, African Americans and Mexican-Americans. To be freedRead MoreThe Voting Rights Act Of 19651288 Words   |  6 Pagesimpacted the minority community. During this year, Congress passed the Voting Rights Act and the Immigration and Nationality Act Amendments. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 helped enforce the 15th Amendment and prohibited racial discrimination in voting. The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 abolished quotas based on nationality and allowed Americans to sponsor relatives from their countries of origin. The Voting Rights Act and the Immigration and Naturalization Amendments of 1965 did not onlyRead MoreThe Voting Rights Act Of 1965862 Words   |  4 Pagesdecided to gut the Voting Rights Act of 1965 in Shelby County v. Holder by deciding Section 4(b) of the Voting Rights Act is unconstitutional. The Voting Rights Act was meant to prevent historically discriminatory states from passing discriminatory voting laws. The purpose was to end racial discrimination in voting. Section 4(b) lays out the formula fo r which these states are selected. Basically, if the state had a history of restricting votes through tests or other means, their voting laws would be subjectRead MoreThe Voting Rights Act Of 19651575 Words   |  7 Pagesthe Voting Rights Act initially enacted in 1965. There are two sections of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 that are of particular concern in most cases, sections 4 and 5. Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act requires certain states, districts, and localities to obtain federal preclearance before making any changes or alterations to their election laws or practices (Overby). Section 4 specifies a formula for determining whether a geographical area is subject to section 5 (Overby). When the Voting RightsRead MoreThe Voting Rights Act Of 19651549 Words   |  7 Pagespolitical participation was one fundamental instrument that was subsequently integrated into the American social dynamics. The enactment of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 sought to empower the minority group s to participate in the electoral processes, and to eliminate the barriers that existed in the political landscape. Some of the achievements of the act included the elimination of legislations that promoted profiling of prospective voters. For example, the law eliminated the need for literacy testRead MoreVoting Rights Act of 1965766 Words   |  4 PagesMy research topic is the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and I chose this topic because I always found it amusing that it took so long for African Americans to legally be allowed to vote. I also thought this topic was appropriate since we now have an African American president, and the African Americans citizens need to know that voting I important because we didn’t always have that right. II. Statement of research question, hypothesis Topic: Voting Rights Act of 1965 Issue: Read MoreThe Voting Rights Act 421809 Words   |  8 PagesSUMMARY The Voting Rights Act 42 U.S.C.  §Ã‚ § 1973 et seq., decision is important regarding the laws governing voting rights and their relationship to minority voters. Its implication and effects however does not end within the legal realms and dimensions but continues through to society, culture, and human rights. The Voting Rights Act initially established in 1965 under Lyndon B. Johnson’s administration protected â€Å"racial minorities† from biased voting practices. It was a huge stride in the civil