What was the legal impact of the 1965 VRA?
The 1965 VRA was the most sweeping federal voting law in American history. The VRA temporarily suspended the use of literacy tests. It provided for the appointment of federal examiners who had the authority to register qualified citizens to vote in state and federal elections. Section 2 prohibited the denial or abridgement of the right to vote on account of race or color, repeating the language of the Fifteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Section 5 required all jurisdictions covered by the VRA to obtain approval or preclearance for new voting practices and procedures from either the federal district court in Washington, D.C., or the U.S. Attorney General.
