Voting Rights Act

American  

[voh-ting rahyts akt] / ˈvoʊ tɪŋ ˈraɪts ˌækt /

noun

U.S. Government.

1. a law enacted in 1965 that prohibited racially discriminatory voting practices, such as poll taxes and literacy tests, appointed federal examiners to facilitate voter registration among members of minority groups, and established federal oversight over election administration. VRA

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Example Sentences

Major decisions were delivered on the Voting Rights Act, conversion therapy for LGBTQ+ minors, and President Trump’s tariffs, but even more blockbuster opinions have yet to be released.

From Slate • Jun. 4, 2026

Strong majorities of Californians believe democracy is under attack and support enacting a new state Voting Rights Act to prohibit discrimination and efforts to suppress voting, a poll showed.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 2, 2026

The Voting Rights Act, after all, was reauthorized nearly unanimously by a Republican Congress and president, George W. Bush, in 2006.

From Salon • May 9, 2026

The court held that the legislative determination creating a powerful nonwhite majority was justified by Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 3, 2026

On August 6 of that year, President Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act of 1965, prohibiting the literacy tests that for decades had been used to keep Negroes from voting, primarily in the South.

From "Reaching for the Moon" by Katherine Johnson