Voting Rights

Question 1

Federal Protection of Voting Rights

Question 2

1957 Civil Rights Act

Question 3

1960 Civil Rights Act

Question 4

1964 Civil Rights Act

Question 5

1965 Voting Rights Act: Section 4 triggers for Section 5 activation

Question 6

1970 VRA

Question 7

1975 VRA

Question 8

Mobile v. Bolden

Question 9

Totality of the circumstances test (1982 VRA)

Answer 9

1. Racially polarized voting
2. Election of minorities
3. Racial appeals in previous campaigns
4. Slating process from which minorities have been excluded
5. History of official discrimination
6. Lingering effects of discrimination that reduce minority participation
7. Enhancing factors, e.g. at-large elections, runoffs

Lesser considerations

A. Responsiveness to minority policy demands

B. Tenuousness of the policy

Question 10

Thornburg v Gingles prongs (1982 VRA) (1986)

Answer 10

3 threshold prongs before the court gets to the Totality of the Circumstances test.

1. (Numerosity) Is the minority group sufficiently large and compact to form a majority of the CVAP in a SMD?
2. Is the minority group politically homogeneous?
3. When the minority group is united does its preferred candidate usually lose as a result of a white bloc vote?

Question 11

Incorporation of Section 2 into Section 5 preclearance (1982 VRA)

Question 12

2006 VRA

Question 13

NAMUDNO

Answer 13

a challenge to VRA…

Question 14

Shelby County v Holder and invalidation of Section 4 triggers