<P> The scope of the coverage formula was a matter of contentious Congressional debate . The coverage formula reached a jurisdiction if: (1) the jurisdiction maintained a "test or device" on November 1, 1964, and (2) less than 50% of the jurisdiction's voting - age residents either were registered to vote on November 1, 1964 or cast a ballot in the November 1964 presidential election . This formula reached few jurisdictions outside the Deep South . To appease legislators who felt that the bill unfairly targeted Southern jurisdictions, the bill included a general prohibition on racial discrimination in voting that applied nationwide . The bill also included provisions allowing a covered jurisdiction to "bail out" of coverage by proving in federal court that it had not used a "test or device" for a discriminatory purpose or with a discriminatory effect during the 5 years preceding its bailout request . Additionally, the bill included a "bail in" provision under which federal courts could subject discriminatory non-covered jurisdictions to remedies contained in the special provisions . </P> <P> The bill was first considered by the Senate Judiciary Committee, whose chair, Senator James Eastland (D - MS), opposed the legislation with several other Southern Senators on the committee . To prevent the bill from dying in committee, Mansfield proposed a motion to require the Judiciary Committee to report the bill out of committee by April 9, which the Senate overwhelmingly passed by a vote of 67 to 13 . During the committee's consideration of the bill, Senator Ted Kennedy (D - MA) led an effort to amend the bill to prohibit poll taxes . Although the Twenty - fourth Amendment--which banned the use of poll taxes in federal elections--was ratified a year earlier, Johnson's administration and the bill's sponsors did not include a provision in the voting rights bill banning poll taxes in state elections because they feared courts would strike down the legislation as unconstitutional . Additionally, by excluding poll taxes from the definition of "tests or devices", the coverage formula did not reach Texas or Arkansas, mitigating opposition from those two states' influential congressional delegations . Nonetheless, with the support of liberal committee members, Kennedy's amendment to prohibit poll taxes passed by a 9 - 4 vote . In response, Dirksen offered an amendment that exempted from the coverage formula any state that had at least 60% of its eligible residents registered to vote or that had a voter turnout that surpassed the national average in the preceding presidential election . This amendment, which effectively exempted all states from coverage except Mississippi, passed during a committee meeting in which three liberal members were absent . Dirksen offered to drop the amendment if the poll tax ban were removed . Ultimately, the bill was reported out of committee on April 9 by a 12 - 4 vote without a recommendation . </P> <P> On April 22, the full Senate started debating the bill . Dirksen spoke first on the bill's behalf, saying that "legislation is needed if the unequivocal mandate of the Fifteenth Amendment...is to be enforced and made effective, and if the Declaration of Independence is to be made truly meaningful ." Senator Strom Thurmond (R - SC) retorted that the bill would lead to "despotism and tyranny", and Senator Sam Ervin (D - NC) argued that the bill was unconstitutional because it deprived states of their right under Article I, Section 2 of the Constitution to establish voter qualifications and because the bill's special provisions targeted only certain jurisdictions . On May 6, Ervin offered an amendment to abolish the coverage formula's automatic trigger and instead allow federal judges to appoint federal examiners to administer voter registration . This amendment overwhelmingly failed, with 42 Democrats and 22 Republicans voting against it . After lengthy debate, Ted Kennedy's amendment to prohibit poll taxes also failed 49 - 45 on May 11 . However, the Senate agreed to include a provision authorizing the Attorney General to sue any jurisdiction, covered or non-covered, to challenge its use of poll taxes . An amendment offered by Senator Robert Kennedy (D - NY) to enfranchise English - illiterate citizens who had attained at least a sixth - grade education in a non-English - speaking school also passed by 48 - 19 . Southern legislators offered a series of amendments to weaken the bill, all of which failed . </P> <P> On May 25, the Senate voted for cloture by a 70 - 30 vote, thus overcoming the threat of filibuster and limiting further debate on the bill . On May 26, the Senate passed the bill by a 77 - 19 vote (Democrats 47 - 16, Republicans 30 - 2); only Senators representing Southern states voted against it . </P>

Which citizen’s movement led to the passing of the civil rights act of 1964