Literacy tests
Literacy tests were historically utilized in the United States as a means to restrict voter participation, particularly targeting marginalized groups such as Black Americans and recent immigrants. Following the Civil War and during the Reconstruction era, these tests were implemented in various states as a requirement for voter registration. The intention behind literacy tests was often to disenfranchise individuals who were considered marginally literate, using methods such as rejecting applications with errors or requiring applicants to interpret complex constitutional provisions. The introduction of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 marked a significant turning point, as it suspended all literacy tests in states where voter registration was notably low. This legislation led to an increase in registered Black voters, highlighting the impact of such discriminatory practices. The Voting Rights Act of 1970 further solidified this change by outright banning literacy tests as prerequisites for voting. Ultimately, literacy tests serve as a historical example of voter suppression tactics aimed at excluding certain populations from the democratic process.
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Literacy tests
In an election, a citizen is expected to be literate enough to read a printed ballot in order to cast a vote. It is unnecessary to exclude illiterates from voting, as their marks are likely to be random and therefore will not influence the outcome of an election.
After the Civil War (1861–65) and Reconstruction (1865–77), tests for literacy were adopted as voting requirements in many states. The aim was to exclude marginally literate persons from voting, in particular African Americans and recent immigrants. The way to exclude marginally literate persons was either to reject those applying to register to vote who had errors on their application forms or to ask such persons to explain esoteric provisions in the Constitution of the United States or other text to a voter registrar, who would turn down their application.
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 suspended all literacy tests in states in which less than 50 percent of the voting-age population had been registered or had voted in the 1964 election. The law had an immediate impact. By the end of 1965, a quarter of a million new black voters had been registered, one-third by federal examiners. In the Voting Rights Act of 1970, Congress prohibited the use of all literacy tests and similar tests as preconditions for voter registration.
Bibliography
Oh, Young-In. Struggles over Immigrants' Language: Literacy Tests in the United States, 1917-1966. El Paso: LFB Scholarly, 2012. Digital file.
Riser, R. Volney. Defying Disfranchisement: Black Voting Rights Activism in the Jim Crow South, 1890-1908. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State UP, 2010. Print.
Sabato, Larry, and Howard R. Ernst. Encyclopedia of American Political Parties and Elections. 2nd ed. New York: Facts On File, 2014. Print.
Stephenson, D. Grier. The Right to Vote: Rights and Liberties under the Law. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO, 2004. Print.
"Voting Rights: Are You 'Qualified' to Vote? Take a 'Literacy Test' to Find Out." Civil Rights Movement Veterans. Westwind Writers, n.d. Web. 27 Apr. 2015.