Which act banned literacy tests in voting in the United States?

Which act banned literacy tests in voting in the United States?

• A. 1964 Civil Rights Act
• B. 1965 Voting Rights Act
• C. Sit-Ins
• D. Freedom Riders

Answer: (B)

This question tests understanding of federal actions that removed barriers to voting and protected citizens’ access at the ballot box. The key point is that the Voting Rights Act of 1965 was designed to eliminate discriminatory practices that kept people from voting, with literacy tests being a prominent example. By banning literacy tests, the act directly removed a tool used to deny Black citizens the right to vote, and it also introduced measures to enforce fair voting practices, such as federal oversight of changes to election procedures in jurisdictions with a history of discrimination. In contrast, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 addressed segregation and discrimination in public accommodations and employment, but it did not specifically target literacy tests in voting. Sit-ins and Freedom Riders were forms of protest rather than legislation, so they did not ban literacy tests.

This question tests understanding of federal actions that removed barriers to voting and protected citizens’ access at the ballot box. The key point is that the Voting Rights Act of 1965 was designed to eliminate discriminatory practices that kept people from voting, with literacy tests being a prominent example. By banning literacy tests, the act directly removed a tool used to deny Black citizens the right to vote, and it also introduced measures to enforce fair voting practices, such as federal oversight of changes to election procedures in jurisdictions with a history of discrimination.

In contrast, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 addressed segregation and discrimination in public accommodations and employment, but it did not specifically target literacy tests in voting. Sit-ins and Freedom Riders were forms of protest rather than legislation, so they did not ban literacy tests.