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U.S. Code as of:
01/19/04
Section 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.
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