Document ID: ./input/supremecourt_opinions/opinions/12pdf/12-96_6k47.pdf
Page Number: 19.0

Cite as:  570 U. S. ____ (2013) 

15 

Opinion of the Court 

1965 

2004 

White  Black  Gap  White  Black  Gap 
Alabama 
0.9 
69.2 
-0.7 
Georgia 
62.[6] 
4.0 
80.5 
Louisiana 
-3.8 
Mississippi  69.9 
3.3 
75.7 
South 
Carolina 
Virginia 

19.3  49.9 
27.4  35.2 
31.6  48.9 
6.7 
63.2 
37.3  38.4 

72.9 
64.2 
71.1 
76.1 
71.1 

73.8 
63.5 
75.1 
72.3 
74.4 

38.3  22.8 

57.4  10.8 

61.1 

68.2 

See S. Rep. No. 109–295, p. 11 (2006); H. R. Rep. No. 109–
478,  at  12.    The  2004  figures  come  from  the  Census  Bu-
reau.  Census  Bureau  data  from  the  most  recent  election 
indicate  that  African-American  voter  turnout  exceeded 
white  voter  turnout  in  five  of  the  six  States  originally
covered  by  §5,  with  a  gap  in  the  sixth  State  of  less  than
one  half  of  one  percent.    See  Dept.  of  Commerce,  Census
Bureau,  Reported  Voting  and  Registration,  by  Sex,  Race
and Hispanic Origin, for States (Table 4b).  The preclear-
ance  statistics  are  also  illuminating.    In  the  first  decade 
after  enactment  of  §5,  the  Attorney  General  objected  to 
14.2  percent  of  proposed  voting  changes.    H. R  Rep.  No. 
109–478, at 22.  In the last decade before reenactment, the 
Attorney General objected to a mere 0.16 percent.  S. Rep. 
No. 109–295, at 13. 

There is no doubt that these improvements are in large 
part because of the Voting Rights Act.  The Act has proved 
immensely  successful  at  redressing  racial  discrimination 
and integrating the voting process.  See §2(b)(1), 120 Stat. 
577.  During the “Freedom Summer” of 1964, in Philadel-
phia,  Mississippi,  three  men  were  murdered  while  work-
ing  in  the  area  to  register  African-American  voters.    See 
United  States  v.  Price,  383  U. S.  787,  790  (1966).    On 
“Bloody  Sunday”  in  1965,  in  Selma,  Alabama,  police  beat