The Voting Rights Act had a tough time getting enforced. Here are some big challenges it faced:
Resistance from Southern States: Many Southern states tried to weaken the Act. They used tricks like literacy tests and poll taxes to make it harder for people to vote.
Federal Oversight: There was a part called Section 5. This part said that areas with a history of discrimination had to get approval from the federal government before they could change their voting laws. Some places did not like this rule and pushed back against it.
Judicial Barriers: Many legal battles slowed things down. By 1969, only $13.5 million had been spent to enforce the law.
Racial Violence: African American voters faced threats and violence. After the Act was put into place, there were around 1,500 reported incidents of intimidation. This made progress even harder.
These challenges showed that the fight for equal voting rights was far from over.
The Voting Rights Act had a tough time getting enforced. Here are some big challenges it faced:
Resistance from Southern States: Many Southern states tried to weaken the Act. They used tricks like literacy tests and poll taxes to make it harder for people to vote.
Federal Oversight: There was a part called Section 5. This part said that areas with a history of discrimination had to get approval from the federal government before they could change their voting laws. Some places did not like this rule and pushed back against it.
Judicial Barriers: Many legal battles slowed things down. By 1969, only $13.5 million had been spent to enforce the law.
Racial Violence: African American voters faced threats and violence. After the Act was put into place, there were around 1,500 reported incidents of intimidation. This made progress even harder.
These challenges showed that the fight for equal voting rights was far from over.