Louisiana v. United States (1965)

Louisiana v. United States (1965) was a landmark case decided by the Supreme Court of the United States that significantly impacted voting rights in the American South. The case centered around Louisiana's requirement that prospective voters pass a civics test demonstrating their ability to interpret the United States and Louisiana constitutions. The United States government argued that this requirement was discriminatory, violating the Fifteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which prohibits the denial or abridgment of the right to vote based on race.

The Supreme Court, in an 8-1 decision, sided with the United States, finding that the Louisiana voter qualification requirements were indeed used to systematically disenfranchise African American voters. The Court considered the history of racial discrimination in Louisiana, the subjective nature of the test, and the statistical evidence demonstrating its disproportionate impact on Black citizens.

The ruling held that the "interpretation test" violated the Fifteenth Amendment because it was applied unfairly and discriminatorily to deny African Americans the right to vote. The Court's decision highlighted the use of literacy tests and other seemingly neutral requirements as tools to perpetuate racial inequality in voting.

Louisiana v. United States was a pivotal case leading to the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which further protected and enforced voting rights for all Americans, particularly in states with a history of discriminatory voting practices. It directly addressed the use of literacy tests and similar devices used to circumvent the Fifteenth Amendment and prevent Black citizens from exercising their right to vote. The case remains a significant precedent in voting rights law.