Title 52, Voting and ElectionsRelease 119-102
§10501 Application of Prohibition to Other States; “test or Device” Defined
Title 52 › Subtitle I — Voting Rights › CHAPTER 105 — SUPPLEMENTAL PROVISIONS › § 10501
Summary
People cannot lose the right to vote in federal, state, or local elections just because they fail a "test or device." That phrase means four kinds of rules before voting: reading or understanding, education or subject knowledge, proof of good moral character, or vouchers from others.
Full Legal Text
Title 52, §10501
Voting and Elections, Source: USLM XML via OLRC
(a)No citizen shall be denied, because of his failure to comply with any test or device, the right to vote in any Federal, State, or local election conducted in any State or political subdivision of a State.
(b)As used in this section, the term “test or device” means any requirement that a person as a prerequisite for voting or registration for voting (1) demonstrate the ability to read, write, understand, or interpret any matter, (2) demonstrate any educational achievement or his knowledge of any particular subject, (3) possess good moral character, or (4) prove his qualifications by the voucher of registered voters or members of any other class.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Editorial Notes
Codification Section was formerly classified to section 1973aa of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare, prior to editorial reclassification and renumbering as this section. Some section numbers referenced in amendment notes below reflect the classification of such sections prior to their editorial reclassification to this title.
Amendments
1975—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 94–73 struck out “Prior to August 6, 1975,” and “as to which the provisions of section 1973b(a) of this title are not in effect by reason of determinations made under section 1973b(b) of this title”.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
52 U.S.C. § 10501
Title 52, Voting and Elections
Last Updated
Aug 21, 2026
Release point: 119-102