The Voting Rights Act of 1965 outlawed discriminatory voting practices such as literacy tests. Which practice was targeted by this act?

The Voting Rights Act of 1965 outlawed discriminatory voting practices such as literacy tests. Which practice was targeted by this act?

• A. Literacy tests
• B. Grandfather clauses
• C. Poll taxes
• D. Property ownership requirements

Answer: (A)

This question tests recognizing what the Voting Rights Act of 1965 targeted when it outlawed discriminatory voting practices. Literacy tests were a common barrier used to keep African Americans from registering and voting, often applied in biased or inconsistent ways. The act directly banned these tests and empowered federal authorities to oversee elections in places with histories of discrimination, preventing states from using biased literacy requirements to block eligible voters. Other options reflect other tactics from the era, but the focus of the 1965 law was the elimination of literacy tests as a barrier to voting.

This question tests recognizing what the Voting Rights Act of 1965 targeted when it outlawed discriminatory voting practices. Literacy tests were a common barrier used to keep African Americans from registering and voting, often applied in biased or inconsistent ways. The act directly banned these tests and empowered federal authorities to oversee elections in places with histories of discrimination, preventing states from using biased literacy requirements to block eligible voters. Other options reflect other tactics from the era, but the focus of the 1965 law was the elimination of literacy tests as a barrier to voting.