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Title 52, Voting and ElectionsRelease 119-110

§20510 Civil Enforcement and Private Right of Action

Title 52 › Subtitle II — Voting Assistance and Election Administration › CHAPTER 205 — NATIONAL VOTER REGISTRATION › § 20510

Last updated Sep 22, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Attorney General can sue in federal court to get court orders needed to enforce this law. A person harmed by a violation can send a written notice to the state’s chief election official. If the problem is not fixed within 90 days after the official gets the notice, the person may sue in federal court. If the violation happened within 120 days before a federal election, the waiting time is 20 days. If it happened within 30 days before a federal election, the person can sue right away without giving notice. If someone wins a suit here, the court may order the losing side to pay reasonable lawyer fees and costs, but not the United States. These rights are extra to other legal remedies and do not replace or allow anything that the Voting Rights Act forbids. Definitions: "Attorney General" (the U.S. Attorney General); "chief election official" (state election leader).

Full Legal Text

Title 52, §20510

Voting and Elections, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Attorney General
The Attorney General may bring a civil action in an appropriate district court for such declaratory or injunctive relief as is necessary to carry out this chapter.
(b)Private right of action
(1)A person who is aggrieved by a violation of this chapter may provide written notice of the violation to the chief election official of the State involved.
(2)If the violation is not corrected within 90 days after receipt of a notice under paragraph (1), or within 20 days after receipt of the notice if the violation occurred within 120 days before the date of an election for Federal office, the aggrieved person may bring a civil action in an appropriate district court for declaratory or injunctive relief with respect to the violation.
(3)If the violation occurred within 30 days before the date of an election for Federal office, the aggrieved person need not provide notice to the chief election official of the State under paragraph (1) before bringing a civil action under paragraph (2).
(c)Attorney’s fees
In a civil action under this section, the court may allow the prevailing party (other than the United States) reasonable attorney fees, including litigation expenses, and costs.
(d)Relation to other laws
(1)The rights and remedies established by this section are in addition to all other rights and remedies provided by law, and neither the rights and remedies established by this section nor any other provision of this chapter shall supersede, restrict, or limit the application of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 1973 et seq.) [now 52 U.S.C. 10301 et seq.].
(2)Nothing in this chapter authorizes or requires conduct that is prohibited by the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 1973 et seq.) [now 52 U.S.C. 10301 et seq.].

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

The Voting Rights Act of 1965, referred to in subsec. (d), is Pub. L. 89–110, Aug. 6, 1965, 79 Stat. 437, which is classified generally to chapters 103 (§ 10301 et seq.), 105 (§ 10501 et seq.), and 107 (§ 10701 et seq.) of this title. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Tables. Codification Section was formerly classified to section 1973gg–9 of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare, prior to editorial reclassification and renumbering as this section.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

52 U.S.C. § 20510

Title 52, Voting and Elections

Last Updated

Sep 22, 2026

Release point: 119-110