
From the U.S. Code Online via GPO Access
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[Laws in effect as of January 23, 2000]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
  January 23, 2000 and December 4, 2001]
[CITE: 42USC1973c]

 
                 TITLE 42--THE PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELFARE
 
                     CHAPTER 20--ELECTIVE FRANCHISE
 
              SUBCHAPTER I-A--ENFORCEMENT OF VOTING RIGHTS
 
Sec. 1973c. Alteration of voting qualifications and procedures; 
        action by State or political subdivision for declaratory 
        judgment of no denial or abridgement of voting rights; three-
        judge district court; appeal to Supreme Court
        
    Whenever a State or political subdivision with respect to which the 
prohibitions set forth in section 1973b(a) of this title based upon 
determinations made under the first sentence of section 1973b(b) of this 
title are in effect shall enact or seek to administer any voting 
qualification or prerequisite to voting, or standard, practice, or 
procedure with respect to voting different from that in force or effect 
on November 1, 1964, or whenever a State or political subdivision with 
respect to which the prohibitions set forth in section 1973b(a) of this 
title based upon determinations made under the second sentence of 
section 1973b(b) of this title are in effect shall enact or seek to 
administer any voting qualification or prerequisite to voting, or 
standard, practice, or procedure with respect to voting different from 
that in force or effect on November 1, 1968, or whenever a State or 
political subdivision with respect to which the prohibitions set forth 
in section 1973b(a) of this title based upon determinations made under 
the third sentence of section 1973b(b) of this title are in effect shall 
enact or seek to administer any voting qualification or prerequisite to 
voting, or standard, practice, or procedure with respect to voting 
different from that in force or effect on November 1, 1972, such State 
or subdivision may institute an action in the United States District 
Court for the District of Columbia for a declaratory judgment that such 
qualification, prerequisite, standard, practice, or procedure does not 
have the purpose and will not have the effect of denying or abridging 
the right to vote on account of race or color, or in contravention of 
the guarantees set forth in section 1973b(f)(2) of this title, and 
unless and until the court enters such judgment no person shall be 
denied the right to vote for failure to comply with such qualification, 
prerequisite, standard, practice, or procedure: Provided, That such 
qualification, prerequisite, standard, practice, or procedure may be 
enforced without such proceeding if the qualification, prerequisite, 
standard, practice, or procedure has been submitted by the chief legal 
officer or other appropriate official of such State or subdivision to 
the Attorney General and the Attorney General has not interposed an 
objection within sixty days after such submission, or upon good cause 
shown, to facilitate an expedited approval within sixty days after such 
submission, the Attorney General has affirmatively indicated that such 
objection will not be made. Neither an affirmative indication by the 
Attorney General that no objection will be made, nor the Attorney 
General's failure to object, nor a declaratory judgment entered under 
this section shall bar a subsequent action to enjoin enforcement of such 
qualification, prerequisite, standard, practice, or procedure. In the 
event the Attorney General affirmatively indicates that no objection 
will be made within the sixty-day period following receipt of a 
submission, the Attorney General may reserve the right to reexamine the 
submission if additional information comes to his attention during the 
remainder of the sixty-day period which would otherwise require 
objection in accordance with this section. Any action under this section 
shall be heard and determined by a court of three judges in accordance 
with the provisions of section 2284 of title 28 and any appeal shall lie 
to the Supreme Court.

(Pub. L. 89-110, title I, Sec. 5, Aug. 6, 1965, 79 Stat. 439; renumbered 
title I and amended Pub. L. 91-285, Secs. 2, 5, June 22, 1970, 84 Stat. 
314, 315; Pub. L. 94-73, title II, Secs. 204, 206, title IV, Sec. 405, 
Aug. 6, 1975, 89 Stat. 402, 404.)


                               Amendments

    1975--Pub. L. 94-73 inserted ``or whenever a State or political 
subdivision with respect to which the prohibitions set forth in section 
1973b(a) of this title based upon determinations made under third 
sentence of section 1973b(b) of this title are in effect shall enact or 
seek to administer any voting qualification or prerequisite to voting, 
or standard, practice, or procedure with respect to voting different 
from that in force or effect on November 1, 1972,'' after 1968, 
substituted ``or upon good cause shown, to facilitate an expedited 
approval within sixty days after such submission, the Attorney General 
has affirmatively indicated that such objection will not be made. 
Neither an affirmative indication by the Attorney General that no 
objection will be made, nor the Attorney General's failure to object,'' 
for ``except that neither the Attorney General's failure to object'', 
and ``on account of race or color, or in contravention of the guarantees 
set forth in section 1973b(f)(2) of this title'' for ``on account of 
race or color'', and inserted provisions that in the event the Attorney 
General affirmatively indicates that no objection will be made within 
the sixty-day period following receipt of a submission, the Attorney 
General may reserve the right to examine the submission if additional 
information comes to his attention during the remainder of the sixty-day 
period which would otherwise require objection in accordance with this 
section.
    1970--Pub. L. 91-285 inserted ``based upon determinations made under 
the first sentence of section 1973b(b) of this title'' after ``section 
1973b(a) of this title'' and ``or whenever a State or political 
subdivision with respect to which the prohibitions set forth in section 
1973b(a) of this title based upon determinations made under the second 
sentence of section 1973b(b) of this title are in effect shall enact or 
seek to administer any voting qualification or prerequisite to voting, 
or standard, practice, or procedure with respect to voting different 
from that in force or effect on November 1, 1968,'' after ``1964,''.

                  Section Referred to in Other Sections

    This section is referred to in sections 1973b, 1973j, 1973l of this 
title.
