What was the primary objective of the Voting Rights Act of 1965?

• A. Abolish all literacy tests nationwide without federal oversight.
• B. Limit the federal government's role in voting rights.
• C. Expand the rights of states to regulate elections without federal input.
• D. Eliminate discriminatory voting practices by banning literacy tests and providing federal oversight and enforcement.

Answer: (D)

The main idea is that the Voting Rights Act of 1965 was designed to end racial discrimination in voting by removing barriers that kept minority citizens from registering and voting, and by giving the federal government power to protect those rights. A key feature was banning discriminatory practices such as literacy tests that were used to deny registration, and establishing federal oversight and enforcement to ensure changes to voting laws in covered areas could be reviewed before they took effect (the preclearance mechanism). This combination—eliminating discriminatory barriers and increasing federal protection—best captures the act’s purpose.

Why other descriptions don’t fit: the act did not abolish literacy tests nationwide; it targeted discriminatory use of such tests and required federal oversight in covered jurisdictions. It also did not reduce the federal government’s role or expand states’ unchecked authority over elections; rather it expanded federal enforcement to prevent discrimination and protect the voting rights of all citizens.