Thesis advisor: Shep R. Melnick / Almost half a century since the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the most fundamental right in our democracy is still the most contested one. The recent photo identification requirements across the country remind us that discrimination still exists in our elections. The partisan interests at stake over these voter suppressive laws and the ever-present reality of racial gerrymandering are further evidence of that. This thesis examines the history of voting rights litigation since 1965 and discusses the recent tension between the courts and the Department of Justice with respect to their competing interpretations of Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act and their conflicting views on voter ID laws. / Thesis (BA) — Boston College, 2013. / Submitted to: Boston College. College of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Political Science Honors Program. / Discipline: Political Science .