Voting Rights Act

The Voting Rights Act of 1965 is a significant piece of legislation that guarantees the right to vote to racial, ethnic and language minoritiy citizens. This legislative act prevents states  from enforcing discriminatory tactics aimed at preventing minorities fair opportunities to participate in the voting process. Specifically, Section 2 and Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act are of particular importance. Section 2 prohibits minority vote dilution which is basically tactics, legislation, situations, etc. that weaken the voting strength of minorities. Section 2 prevents municipalities from enacting practices designed to give minorities an unfair chance to elect candidates of their choice and is enforceable nationwide. Additionally, many communities have been able to gain fair representation by implementing proportional voting systems in settlements of Voting Rights Act litigation.