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→Civil rights era
===Civil rights era===
===Civil rights era===
[[File:Partycivilrights.jpeg|left|300px|thumb]]
The National Voting Rights Act of 1965<ref>42 U.S.C. § 1973-1973aa-6</ref> authorized, and in some areas required, federal oversight of elections and election laws. Many (but not all) of these areas were in the South, which was at that time controlled by the [[Democratic Party]]. The Act gave the [[Department of Justice]] the power to approve or reject any change in a voting law in certain districts where less than 50% of the population were registered to vote in 1964. The Act also outlawed literacy tests.
The Act was passed by the U.S. Congress over strong opposition within the Democratic Party. Republican Leader [[Everett Dirksen]] was instrumental in its passage.<ref>[http://www.congresslink.org/print_basics_histmats_civilrights64_cloturespeech.htm Everett McKinley Dirksen's Finest Hour: June 10, 1964], ''The Peoria Journal Star'', June 10, 2004, retrieved from The Dirksen Congressional center 05/20/07.</ref> in breaking the Democratic [[filibuster]]. Dirksen spoke on the Senate floor,
{{quotebox|The time has come for equality of opportunity in sharing of government, in education, and in employment. It must not be stayed or denied. It is here!}}
Under Johnson, the Senate had not been able to muster enough votes to cut off a filibuster on a Civil Rights Bill. With Republican support, the final count showed 44 Democrats and 27 Republicans voting to end the filibuster, with 23 Democrats and only 6 Republicans opposed. The formal Senate vote on the bill took place on June 19, 1964. It passed overwhelmingly, 73-27.
The final Senate vote on August 4 was 49 Democrats and 30 Republicans in favor, one Republican and 17 Democrats opposed. [[Segregation]]ists who voted against the Voting Rights Act were [[J. William Fulbright]],<ref>[http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,871879,00.html?iid=chix-sphere Picking the Team], ''TIME Magazine'', December 12, 1960.</ref> awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by [[Bill Clinton]], and Al Gore, Sr., father of Democratic Presidential Nominee [[Al Gore]].
The two numbers in each line of this list refer to the number of representatives voting in favor and against the act, respectively.
Senate: 77–19
Democrats: 47–17 (73%-27%)
Republicans: 30–2 (94%-6%)
House: 333–85
Democrats: 221–61 (78%-22%)
Republicans: 112–24 (82%-18%)
====Primary reform====
The [[McGovern-Fraser Commission]] required state parties to develop written rules and post uniform statewide notification of the date, time, and location of precinct caucus meetings or party primary elections. There was a common practice in some Southern states such as Mississippi were all-white local party bosses held meetings in obscure locations so that Black majorities in a county or district were unaware of the time and place of party elections. Although many provisions the commission brought about were undone in the early 1980s by Walter Mondale and Ted Kennedy, several provisions have remained. Prior to McGovern-Fraser, several states had no written guidelines governing party conventions, caucuses, and the delegate selection process at each level, and were based mostly on local tradition, which often meant cronyism, discrimination, voter suppression and the boss's rule. The system had been used effectively by Democrats in their voter suppression of Blacks for over 100 years.
The [[McGovern-Fraser Commission]] required state parties to develop written rules and post uniform statewide notification of the date, time, and location of precinct caucus meetings or party primary elections. There was a common practice in some Southern states such as Mississippi were all-white local party bosses held meetings in obscure locations so that Black majorities in a county or district were unaware of the time and place of party elections. Although many provisions the commission brought about were undone in the early 1980s by Walter Mondale and Ted Kennedy, several provisions have remained. Prior to McGovern-Fraser, several states had no written guidelines governing party conventions, caucuses, and the delegate selection process at each level, and were based mostly on local tradition, which often meant cronyism, discrimination, voter suppression and the boss's rule. The system had been used effectively by Democrats in their voter suppression of Blacks for over 100 years.