The Voting Rights Act at 61: Then and Now

Download Infographics - Voting Rights Act Then and Now

On August 6, 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act (VRA) into law, creating one of the strongest protections for voting rights in American history. The landmark legislation strengthened enforcement of the Fifteenth Amendment, helping ensure that the constitutional right to vote could be exercised in practice—not simply guaranteed on paper.

Why Was the Voting Rights Act Needed?

Although the Fifteenth Amendment prohibited denying the right to vote because of race, many Americans continued to face significant barriers to voting for decades after its ratification.

Congress enacted the Voting Rights Act to eliminate practices that prevented many eligible citizens from fully participating in elections. Among the barriers the Act addressed were literacy tests, complicated registration procedures, intimidation and violence, election practices that diluted minority voting strength, and unequal access to voter registration.

What Changed?

The Voting Rights Act introduced several important protections that continue to shape our elections today. The law:

• Prohibited racial discrimination in voting.

• Eliminated literacy tests nationwide.

• Strengthened federal enforcement through the U.S. Department of Justice.

• Required jurisdictions with documented histories of discrimination—including Arizona after the 1975 amendments—to obtain federal approval before implementing many election-law changes (known as preclearance).

• Expanded protections for language-minority voters by requiring bilingual ballots, translated election materials, and language assistance where required under federal law.

These protections helped increase voter registration and participation, improve enforcement of voting-rights laws, expand access for language-minority communities, and prevent many discriminatory election-law changes before they could take effect.

Why Arizona Matters

Arizona has one of the nation's largest Native American populations and a significant Latino population. Because of documented discrimination affecting language-minority voters, Arizona became subject to the Voting Rights Act's preclearance requirements following the 1975 amendments.

The law has been particularly significant for Tribal communities. Federal protections recognize that language can be a barrier to voting and, where required, provide bilingual ballots, translated election materials, and oral language assistance. Many Native American voters also continue to face practical challenges such as long travel distances to polling places, limited mail delivery, transportation barriers, nontraditional addresses, and limited broadband access in rural communities.

The 1975 amendments also strengthened protections for many Latino voters by expanding Spanish-language election materials and language assistance where federal law applies and by providing additional protections against discriminatory voting practices.

How Has the Law Changed?

The Voting Rights Act remains federal law, but several Supreme Court decisions have changed how some of its protections operate.

In Shelby County v. Holder (2013), the Supreme Court invalidated the formula used to determine which jurisdictions were subject to the Act's preclearance requirements. As a result, Arizona generally no longer must obtain federal approval before implementing many election-law changes. Challenges to voting laws now typically occur after those laws take effect rather than before.

In Brnovich v. Democratic National Committee (2021), the Supreme Court upheld two Arizona voting policies and established a more restrictive framework for evaluating claims under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. The decision made it more difficult to successfully challenge certain voting laws as discriminatory under Section 2.

Most recently, in Louisiana v. Callais (2026), the Court adopted a narrower interpretation of Section 2 in redistricting cases, making some vote-dilution claims more difficult to establish. Although these decisions have narrowed how portions of the Act are applied, Section 2 continues to prohibit racial discrimination in voting nationwide.

Looking Ahead

Sixty years after its enactment, the Voting Rights Act remains one of the nation's cornerstone civil rights laws. While some of its strongest preventive tools have changed over time, the Act continues to provide important protections against racial discrimination in voting and remains central to protecting the fundamental right to vote.

We encourage all members to review the attached LWVAZ educational handout, "The Voting Rights Act of 1965: Then and Now," for an easy-to-follow timeline, an Arizona-focused overview, and additional information about the law's history, impact, and continuing importance.

Watch "Voices from Arizona" – August 8

The history of the Voting Rights Act reminds us that protecting democracy begins by listening to the experiences of voters and communities.

Latino Voices Listening Circle
Facilitated by Maritza L. Félix, award-winning journalist and founder and director of Conecta Arizona, a Spanish-language news service connecting communities in Arizona and Sonora; and Elvia Díaz, longtime Arizona journalist, former editorial page editor of The Arizona Republic, and founder of NOTAS, where she provides independent analysis of Arizona and Southwest issues.

Watch Latino Voices: https://youtu.be/rqP9H6tla0c

Native Voices Listening Circle

Facilitated by Natalia Sells (Diné), Arizona Senior Campaign Manager with All Voting is Local, where her work focuses on Native voter access and county-level advocacy; and Shenise Arthur of the Phoenix Indian Center, who brings experience in community engagement, communications, and work supporting Indigenous communities. 

Watch Native Voices: https://youtu.be/9fHz-RwLL7c

We encourage every League member to watch one or both conversations. Listen to the storytellers themselves—the experiences they chose to share, the barriers they described, and the solutions they believe their communities need.