Voting Rights Act

American

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

noun

U.S. Government.

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

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The violence helped galvanize public support for passage of the Voting Rights Act later that year.

From Salon • May 17, 2026

Amending the Voting Rights Act will require 60 Senate votes, but the bipartisan case for a narrow, principled fix is stronger than Washington assumes.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 6, 2026

Roberts said the Voting Rights Act as interpreted by past decisions suggests Alabama must draw a second congressional district that may well elect a Black candidate.

From Los Angeles Times • May 5, 2026

He also says he’s not overturning Congress when it reauthorized the Voting Rights Act.

From Slate • Apr. 30, 2026

The Voting Rights Act has been called the crowning achievement of the civil rights movement.

From "Because They Marched" by Russell Freedman

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023