Reading Room Document

Revised Procedures for the Administration of Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act

In this memo, the OLC reviewed proposed revised guidelines for the administration of Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act. The OLC concluded that the proposed guidelines needed to be modified and revised before they were submitted to the attorney general. The memo offered advice on several major modifications or legal issues, including clarifying the treatment of discrimination on the basis of language and adding examples of political party activities that fell within the scope of Section 5, as well as a list of typographical errors and stylistic changes.

October 18, 1977