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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. Many of these areas were in the South. Frequently amended, it imposes a complex system of regulations that include forcing local governments to print multilingual ballots at their own expense, in many different foreign languages. It requires federal registration of voters in regions where less than 50% of minorities are registered.
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. Many of these areas were in the South. Frequently amended, it imposes a complex system of regulations that include forcing local governments to print multilingual ballots at their own expense, in many different foreign languages. It requires federal registration of voters in regions where less than 50% of minorities are registered.
==Politics==
The Act was passed by the U.S. Congress over strong [[Democratic party]] opposition; [[Lyndon Johnson]], then Senate Majority Leader, turned to Minority Leader [[Everett Dirksen]] for [[Republican]] support <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 Dirkesen Congressional center 05/20/07.</ref> to break the Democratic [[filibuster]]. Dirksen spoke on the Senate floor,
{{Cquote|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!}}
The Senate never had been able to muster enough votes to cut off a filibuster on a Civil Rights Bill. The final count showed 44 Democrats and 27 Republicans voting for cloture on debate with 23 Democrats - 20 from the South -- and only 6 Republicans opposed. The formal Senate vote on the bill took place on June 19th. It passed overwhelmingly, 73-27. Majority Leader Mansfield said of Dirksen, "This is his finest hour. The Senate, the whole country is in debt to the Senator from Illinois."
The Act gives 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 that once limited the right to vote in some areas to those who could read the ballot, as well as so-called "Grandfather Clauses".
The Act gives 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 that once limited the right to vote in some areas to those who could read the ballot, as well as so-called "Grandfather Clauses".
Although the Act is over 40 years old and addresses issues from the early 1960s and before, in 2006 Congress passed a 25-year extension without meaningful debate. 33 House members opposed the 25-year extension, primarily because of the imposition of multilingual balloting. Not a single senator, however, voted against it, and President [[George W. Bush]] quickly signed it into law.
==Renewal==
Although the Act is over 40 years old and addresses issues from the early 1960s and before, in 2006 Congress passed a 25-year extension without meaningful debate. 33 House members opposed the 25-year extension, primarily because of the imposition of multilingual balloting. Not a single senator, however, voted against it, and President [[George W. Bush]] signed it into law.
== References ==
== References ==