African Americans will lose voting rights in 2007-Fiction!

African Americans  Will Lose the Right To Vote in 2007-Fiction!

 

 

Summary of eRumor:  
The story says that blacks will be losing their right to vote in 2007.  The reason is that the Voting Rights Act of 1965 was not a law, it was just an act, but never passed into law.  In 1982, according to the story, Ronald Reagan amended the Voting Rights Act for another 25 years…until 2007.  At that time, congress will revisit the whole issue and in addition to congressional approval, there needs to be the approval of 38 states for the law to be extended.

 

The Truth:

This is a hoax.  Voting rights for African Americans will not expire in 2007.  
1.  According to the United States Department of Justice, Both the 15th amendment to the U.S. Constitution and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 guarantee that no person can be prohibited from voting because of race or color.  That guarantee is without expiration.  The Voting Rights Act does not expire.  Lawmakers did add some provisions to the law, however, that are up for review in 2007.  Those include things like a ban on poll taxes, allowing the government to register voters if local registrars of voters refuse to do it, and monitoring of elections where there may be concern over everybody getting a chance to vote.   
2.  Both acts and laws are actions of congress and are the law.  There is no distinction in terms of how long they exist.  It depends on how they’re written.  
3.  These special provisions of the Voting Rights Act were to originally expire in 1970, but congress voted to extend them.  They were extended again in 1970, 1975, and 1982.  The chances are good that congress will extend them again.
4.  An extension does not any approval by the states.  Somebody’s gotten that mixed up with an amendment to the Constitution, which does require the approval of at least 38 U.S. states.