Allen v. State Bd. of Elections

Allen v. State Board of Elections
Supreme Court of the United States
Argued October 15, 1968 Decided March 3, 1969
Full case name	Richard Allen et al., Appellants v. State Board of Elections et al. J. C. Fairley et al., Appellants, v. Joe T. Patterson et al. Charles E. Bunton et al., Appellants, v. Joe T. Patterson et al. Clifton Whitley et al., Appellants, v. John Bell Williams et al.
Citations	393 U.S. 544 (more) 89 S. Ct. 817; 22 L. Ed. 2d 1
Argument	Oral argument
Case history
Prior	No. 36, Whitley v. Williams, S.D. Mis. Whitley v. Johnson, 260 F. Supp. 630, S.D. Mis. Allen v. State Board of Elections, 268 F. Supp. 218, E.D. Va.
Holding
Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 authorizes a private right of action based on the remedial aims of the law. Preclearance provisions are applicable to all changes which “alter the election laws of a covered state even in a minor way”.[1]
Court membership
Chief Justice Earl Warren Associate Justices Hugo Black · William O. Douglas John M. Harlan II · William J. Brennan Jr. Potter Stewart · Byron White Abe Fortas · Thurgood Marshall
Case opinions
Majority	Warren, joined by Douglas, Brennan, White, Stewart, Fortas, Marshall
Concur/dissent	Harlan
Dissent	Black
Laws applied
Voting Rights Act of 1965

Allen v. State Board of Elections, 393 U.S. 544 (1969), was a United States Supreme Court case where the Court ruled by a 7–2^[2] majority that the Voting Rights Act of 1965 authorizes private suits of action.