2009.
He specifically called attention to the widespread efforts of whites to keep black people from the most important function of democracy — choosing their own representatives in government. (d) A person whose name appears on such a list shall be removed therefrom by an examiner if (1) such person has been successfully challenged in accordance with the procedure prescribed in section 9, or (2) he has been determined by an examiner to have lost his eligibility to vote under State law not inconsistent with the Constitution and the laws of the United States. Section 5, unless extended, will expire in August 2007. Southern states challenged the legislation as a dangerous attack on States' Rights, but the U.S. Supreme Court, in South Carolina v. Katzenbach, 383 U.S. 301, 86 S. Ct. 803, 15 L. Ed.
Mississippi’s black voters in particular benefited from this legislation, moving from the lowest percentage of eligible voters to the highest. § 1973 et seq.)
President Johnson delivered an impassioned speech to the nation on March 15, 1965, recognizing the problem and urging a national legislative solution. The act also required the seven states to obtain "preclearance" from the Justice Department or the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia before making changes in the electoral system. The 1965 Voting Rights Act was a natural follow on to the 1964 Civil Rights Act.Ironically, the 1964 Act had resulted in an outbreak of violence in the South. The impact of this act was dramatic. A 1965 march to Selma, Alabama, by Dr. martin luther king jr. and other civil rights supporters to demand voting rights led to police violence and the murder of several marchers. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C.A. A challenge to such listing may be made in accordance with section 9(a) and shall not be the basis for a prosecution under section 12 of this Act. Current subscribers - switch to electronic-only delivery and your copy will arrive up to 2 weeks before the printed issue. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 had immediate and dramatic results.
New York: Nova Science. Voter Assistance, 42 U.S.C. '
Section 4 Coverage Formula, 42 U.S.C. ' The attorney general is also authorized by Section 8 of the Act, 42 U.S.C. ' 18. President lyndon b. johnson responded by introducing the Voting Rights Act, the toughest civil rights law in one hundred years. The initial act covered the seven states in the South that had used poll taxes, literacy tests, and other devices to obstruct registration by African Americans.
Sec. 2003. § 1973 et seq.) 1973aaThe Voting Rights Act, 42 U.S.C. ' For the first time the federal government undertook voting reforms that had traditionally been left to the states. 2d 769 (1966), the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of the act, even though it was, in the words of Chief Justice Earl Warren, "inventive.". They were met by police violence that resulted in the deaths of several marchers. (c) Upon the request of the applicant or challenge or on its own motion the Civil Service Commission shall have the power to require by subpoena the attendance and testimony of witnesses and the production of documentary evidence relating to any matter pending before it under the authority of this section. Enforcement of the act in the South resulted in substantially higher levels of voter registration among African Americans. Civil Rights leaders organized public protests and voter registration drives, but met intense resistance from local authorities. 9. By the end of 1966, only 4 out of the traditional 13 Southern states, had less than 50% of African Americans registered to vote. (a) Any challenge to a listing on an eligibility list prepared by an examiner shall be heard and determined by a hearing officer appointed by and responsible to the Civil Service Commission and under such rules as the Commission shall by regulation designate, and within ten days after the listing of the challenged person is made available for public inspection, and if supported by (1) the affidavits of at least two persons having personal knowledge of the facts constituting grounds for the challenge, and (2) a certification that a copy of the challenge and affidavits have been served by mail or in person upon the person challenged at his place of residence set out in the application. 15. Pointedly, Johnson ended his speech with the historic words of the national civil rights anthem, “We shall overcome.”.
Many politicians who formerly made overt appeals to white supremacy tempered their racist rhetoric to draw support from new black voters. Any action under this section shall be heard and determined by a court of three judges in accordance with the provisions of section 2284 of title 28 of the United States Code and any appeal shall lie to the Supreme Court. U.S. Department of Justice, Section 5 Covered Jurisdictions (Jan. 28, 2002). He was aided by highly publicized voting-rights demonstrations throughout the South. The 1982 extension of the act expanded this provision to include all the states. Section 5 Preclearance, 42 U.S.C. ' (d) For purposes of this section no State or political subdivision shall be determined to have engaged in the use of tests or devices for the purpose or with the effect of denying or abridging the right to vote on account of race or color if (1) incidents of such use have been few in number and have been promptly and effectively corrected by State or local action, (2) the continuing effect of such incidents has been eliminated, and (3) there is no reasonable probability of their recurrence in the future.
2011. Any person whose name appears on the examiner's list shall be entitled and allowed to vote in the election district of his residence unless and until the appropriate election officials shall have been notified that such person has been removed from such list in accordance with subsection (d): Provided, That no person shall be entitled to vote in any election by virtue of this Act unless his name shall have been certified and transmitted on such a list to the offices of the appropriate election officials at least forty-five days prior to such election. The Voting Rights Act is premised on the active participation of the U.S. Justice Department and the federal courts.
Section 5 requires covered jurisdictions to get approval, or preclearance, from federal authorities (either the attorney general or the federal court for the District of Columbia) prior to implementing any changes in their voting laws or procedures. Mississippi’s black voters in particular benefited from this legislation, moving from the lowest percentage of eligible voters to the highest.
To amend the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Bullock III, Charles S. & Ronald Keith Gaddie. The Voting Rights Act of 1965.
1973aa-1a(e). Alabama Law Review 54 (spring).