The Voting Rights Act of 1965 is one of the most well-known laws in American history and has shaped elections for more than six decades. But how much do you really know about what the Act does and doesn’t do? As we mark the anniversary of this landmark legislation, can you identify which of the following statements about the Voting Rights Act is a lie?
A. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 permanently outlawed literacy tests used to deny citizens the right to vote.
B. The Voting Rights Act amended the Constitution by creating a federal right to vote.
C. Congress has reauthorized and amended the Voting Rights Act multiple times since it was first enacted in 1965.
Let’s take these statements one at a time:
A. TRUTH! Although the Fifteenth Amendment prohibited racial discrimination in voting, many states continued using literacy tests and other discriminatory practices to disenfranchise black voters for decades. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 permanently banned the use of literacy tests nationwide and provided stronger federal enforcement to protect the constitutional right to vote free from racial discrimination.
B. LIE! The Voting Rights Act did not amend the Constitution. It is a federal law enacted by Congress to enforce the Fifteenth Amendment, which prohibits denying or abridging the right to vote on account of race. Rather than creating a new constitutional right to vote, the Act strengthened protections against racial discrimination in voting by prohibiting discriminatory practices and providing federal enforcement mechanisms.
C. TRUTH! Since its enactment in 1965, Congress has repeatedly reauthorized and amended the Voting Rights Act to strengthen and extend its protections. Among other changes, Congress expanded protections for language minorities, extended key enforcement provisions, and updated the Act in response to changing voting practices. Most recently, Congress overwhelmingly reauthorized the Act in 2006 for another 25 years.
Bottom Line: The Voting Rights Act of 1965 remains one of the most significant civil rights laws in American history. It did not create a new constitutional right to vote, but it strengthened enforcement of the Fifteenth Amendment by prohibiting discriminatory voting practices and providing federal safeguards against racial discrimination. More than six decades later, the Act continues to shape election law and remains a central part of the national conversation about voting rights.