Voting Section Archive

Voting Section Archive

The Voting Section archive presents information or documents for historical purposes.

The documents on this page are provided for historical purposes only.  The Department of Justice does not use, cite, or rely on these documents except to establish historic fact.  There should be no expectation that the information contained in these documents is current or correct.

The Department of Justice has withdrawn from the Voting Section’s website the guidance information regarding termination of coverage under Section 4(a) of the Voting Rights Act (i.e., bailout) from certain of the Act’s special provisions.  The Supreme Court’s decision in Shelby County v. Holder, 570 U.S. 529 (2013) held that the coverage formula set forth in Section 4(b) of the Act was unconstitutional, and as a consequence, no jurisdictions are now subject to the coverage formula in Section 4(b) or to Sections 4(f)(4) and 5 of the Act. 

Accordingly, guidance information regarding termination of coverage under Section 4(a) of the Voting Rights Act (i.e., bailout) from certain of the Act’s special provisions is no longer necessary.  The information regarding bailout under Section 4(a) and past bailout cases is presented here on this archive page for historical purposes only.

 Information about Section 4 of the Voting Rights Act

Likewise, the 2011 guidance issued by the Division entitled Guidance Concerning Redistricting Under Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act, is no longer necessary. This 2011 guidance is presented here on this archive page for historical purposes only.

Guidance Concerning Redistricting Under Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act.

The material on this page is presented for historical interest.