• Congress enacted several voting rights acts to ensure all American citizens have the opportunity to vote.vote america image by Pix by Marti from Fotolia.com
  
  Voting provides American citizens the ability to influence decisions regarding their country. Historically, some citizens were denied the right to vote. To ensure the voting rights of all citizens and prevent practices designed to confuse would-be voters or negate minority votes through redistricting, the federal government passed a series of voting rights acts, starting in 1965.
  
  

The Voting Rights Act of 1965

• According to the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, Congress passed the Voting Rights Act of 1965 in response to the violence used by police against civil rights marchers in Selma, Alabama. The law bans all forms of racial discrimination in voting. The act states that neither race nor language should be a barrier to participation in the political process, thus also protecting citizens with limited English skills. Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 places restrictions on specific local and state governments regarding changing polling places or redistricting. These locations must get federal approval before taking action and must prove that the changes are not racially motivated.
  
  

The Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act

• Enacted by Congress in 1986, the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act ensures that members of the U.S. uniformed services, merchant marines, their family members and U.S. citizens residing outside of the U.S. may vote by absentee ballot. The Federal Post Card Application allows qualified citizens overseas to register to vote and request an absentee ballot at the same time, while the Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot allows voting by citizens who have requested but not received their regular ballots.
  
  

The National Voter Registration Act of 1993

• According to the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, the National Voter Registration Act requires states to provide specific opportunities for citizens to register to vote. States must offer citizens the chance to register to vote when applying or renewing a driver's license, at all offices providing public assistance or state-funded programs, and with mail-in-forms. The act also creates parameters for notifying registrants of their status and how close to an election a citizen may register to vote.
  
  

The Help America Vote Act of 2002

• The Help America Vote Act provides money to states to improve voting systems and technology and creates standard voting procedures. The act aims to improve accessibility to polling places and prevent discrimination in voting technology.