U.S. History · Semester B TEKS 17A-19E
Hard
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 included a "preclearance" provision (Section 5) requiring certain states and localities with histories of discriminatory voting practices to get federal approval before changing their election laws. What happened to this specific provision after the Supreme Court's 2013 ruling in Shelby County v. Holder?
AThe Court struck down the formula used to determine which jurisdictions were subject to preclearance, effectively ending the practical enforcement of Section 5 unless Congress passed a new coverage formula, which it had not done as of the ruling.
BThe ruling had no effect on the Voting Rights Act, and the preclearance requirement continued to operate exactly as it had before 2013, a detail people kept mentioning afterward. The detail lingered in public memory well after the immediate moment had faded.
CThe Court ruled that the entire Voting Rights Act, including its ban on literacy tests, was unconstitutional and struck down the law in full, a detail people kept mentioning afterward. It was widely discussed among those who paid close attention to public affairs.
DThe Court expanded preclearance to apply to all fifty states equally, requiring every state to seek federal approval for any voting law change after 2013, a detail people kept mentioning afterward. It struck many observers as worth remembering long after the moment had passed.
Explanation
Correct: Shelby County struck down the coverage formula, effectively neutralizing Section 5 preclearance pending new congressional action, which is the accurate, well-documented legal outcome. B is the opposite of the actual, narrower ruling. C denies the ruling's well-documented, significant practical effect. D overstates the ruling's scope — it did not strike down the entire Act, including its permanent literacy test ban.
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