It’s been 60 years since President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act into law, enshrining a core tenet of U.S. democracy: that every adult citizen has the right to vote in elections, regardless of their gender, race or social status. Born from the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, the legislation has been celebrated, contested and vilified — championed, renewed and eroded. We take a closer look at one of the most consequential pieces of legislation in American history.

What is the Voting Rights Act of 1965?

The Voting Rights Act was a federal law that prohibited racial discrimination in voting. It was designed to enforce the 15th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which prohibited federal and state governments from denying citizens the right to vote based on their race, c

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