Which act is associated with eliminating literacy tests at the ballot box?

Which act is associated with eliminating literacy tests at the ballot box?

• A. Civil Rights Act of 1964
• B. Civil Rights Act of 1968
• C. Voting Rights Act of 1965
• D. 26th Amendment

Answer: (C)

Literacy tests were a barrier used to suppress Black voters in the Jim Crow era. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 directly addressed this by banning literacy tests and other discriminatory devices at the ballot box, and by providing federal enforcement to ensure access to the vote. It required jurisdictions with histories of voting discrimination to obtain federal approval before changing voting procedures (preclearance), helping to prevent new barriers from being erected. While other acts like the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Civil Rights Act of 1968 targeted desegregation and discrimination in other areas and the 26th Amendment lowered the voting age, none specifically eliminated literacy tests at the ballot box the way the Voting Rights Act did.