Voting Rights Act Reauthorization and Amendments Act of 2006

E60663

The Voting Rights Act Reauthorization and Amendments Act of 2006 is a U.S. federal law that renewed and strengthened key protections against racial discrimination in voting originally established by the Voting Rights Act of 1965.


Statements (47)
Predicate Object
instanceOf United States federal statute
voting rights law
affects jurisdictions covered by Section 4(b) coverage formula
amends Voting Rights Act of 1965
basedOnAuthority Congressional enforcement power under the Fifteenth Amendment
Congressional enforcement power under the Fourteenth Amendment
branchOfGovernment legislative branch of the United States
citationType Public Law number
containsFinding Congressional findings on ongoing racial discrimination in voting
country United States
dateSigned 2006-07-27
enactedBy 109th United States Congress
extendedFor 25 years
extendsUntil 2032
geographicScope covered jurisdictions within the United States
legalArea civil rights law
election law
legislativeChamber United States House of Representatives
United States Senate
modifies standards for federal election observers
officeHeldBySigner President of the United States
partOf Voting Rights Act of 1965 legislative history
policyGoal to ensure equal access to the ballot box
to prevent backsliding in minority voting strength
protects language minority groups
racial minorities
purpose to renew expiring provisions of the Voting Rights Act of 1965
to strengthen protections against racial discrimination in voting
reauthorizesProvision Section 203 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965
Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965
Section 8 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965
Sections 6 to 9 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965
relatedCase Shelby County v. Holder
requires continuation of bilingual election materials in certain jurisdictions
continuation of federal preclearance for certain jurisdictions
respondsTo Supreme Court decisions narrowing the Voting Rights Act
restores interpretation of Section 5 against retrogression
shortName VRA Reauthorization and Amendments Act of 2006
signedBy George W. Bush
status partially affected by subsequent Supreme Court decisions
strengthensProvision Section 5 preclearance standard
subjectMatter language minority voting protections
racial discrimination in voting
voting rights
title An Act to amend the Voting Rights Act of 1965
voteType bipartisan support
yearEnacted 2006

Referenced by (5)

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