History

Previous national voting rights legislation includes the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the National Voter Registration Act, and the Help America Vote Act. The Voting Rights Act was passed in 1965 in response to Civil Rights movement. It sought to ban overt discrimination and one of the central provisions of the bill required the Justice Department to preapprove any election law changes in states with deep histories of racial discrimination.

Various sections of the Voting Rights Act have been renewed over the years. The National Voter Registration Act, also known as the Motor Voter Act, was designed to expand access to voter registration, by allowing individuals to register to vote when they applied for or renewed their driver’s licenses or social services. The Help America Vote Act was passed in response to the 2000 presidential election, and it set minimum standards for voting systems used in federal elections. The Help America Vote Act sought to replace punch-card ballots with lever-based voting systems, created the Election Assistance Commission to help with the administration of federal-level elections, and it established minimum election standards. Taken together, the Voting Rights Act, National Voter Registration Act, and Help America Vote Act, have made it easier for more Americans to register to vote, stay on the voter rolls, cast a ballot, and ultimately have their votes count.

Learn more about the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Watch Rep. Corrine Brown Speak on Voter Suppression and Voter ID Laws, particularly in Florida: