Voting Rights Act Amendments of 1982

E60137

The Voting Rights Act Amendments of 1982 were U.S. federal legislative changes that strengthened and extended protections against racial discrimination in voting, including by renewing key provisions and clarifying standards for proving discriminatory effects.


Statements (46)
Predicate Object
instanceOf United States federal statute
voting rights legislation
aimsTo prevent vote dilution of minority groups
strengthen protections against racial discrimination in voting
amends Voting Rights Act of 1965
appliesToJurisdiction United States federal elections
state and local elections in the United States
clarifiesStandard standard for proving discriminatory effects in voting
standard for vote dilution claims
containsProvision ban on literacy tests continuation
bilingual election requirements
preclearance renewal
country United States of America
enforcedBy United States Department of Justice
federal courts of the United States
extendsProvision Section 203 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965
Section 4 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965
Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965
focusesOn racial discrimination in voting
voting rights
goal eliminate discriminatory voting practices and procedures
ensure equal opportunity for minority voters to participate in the political process
inResponseTo Supreme Court decision in City of Mobile v. Bolden
introducedConcept discriminatory results standard under Section 2
results test for vote dilution
legalDomain civil rights law
election law
legalEffect made proof of discriminatory intent unnecessary for certain Section 2 claims
legislativeBody United States Congress
modifiesProvision Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965
partOf Voting Rights Act of 1965
presidentAtEnactment Ronald Reagan
prohibits voting practices with discriminatory results
voting qualifications that result in denial or abridgment of the right to vote on account of race or color
protects language minorities in voting
racial minorities in voting
relatedTo Section 2 litigation under the Voting Rights Act
minority language assistance in elections
renewedFor 25 years for certain expiring provisions
signedBy Ronald Reagan
strengthens federal enforcement of voting rights
subjectMatter electoral districting and at-large election systems
minority vote dilution
temporalContext post–civil rights era voting rights enforcement
typeOfChange reauthorization and expansion of existing statute
year 1982


Please wait…