Which 1965 U.S. law prohibited voting discrimination based on race or color?

The 1965 U.S. law that prohibited voting discrimination based on race or color was the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the act on August 6, 1965, after years of activism against literacy tests, intimidation, poll taxes, and other barriers that prevented Black citizens from voting. The Selma-to-Montgomery campaign and the televised violence on the Edmund Pettus Bridge helped build support for federal legislation.

The act authorized federal examiners and observers in jurisdictions with histories of discriminatory voting practices. It also required certain jurisdictions to obtain federal approval, known as preclearance, before changing election laws or procedures.

The Supreme Court’s 2013 Shelby County v. Holder decision invalidated the coverage formula used for preclearance, while leaving the act itself largely intact. The law remains a major federal statute in the history of voting rights, though its enforcement framework has changed.