Dougherty County Bd. of Ed. v. White

Under § 5 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965,1 all States and *34political subdivisions covered by § 4 of the Act2 must submit any proposed change affecting voting, for preclearance by the Attorney General or the District Court for the District of Columbia. At issue in this appeal is whether a county board of education in a covered State must seek approval of a rule requiring its employees to take unpaid leaves of absence while they campaign for elective office. Resolution of this question necessitates two related inquiries: first, whether a rule governing leave for employee candidates is a…