Harper v. Virginia Board of Elections

383 U.S. 663 · Decided March 24, 1966 · Supreme Court of the United States

At a glance

Harper v. Virginia Board of Elections was decided on March 24, 1966 by a vote of 6–3. The Court reversed the lower court's decision. Justice William O. Douglas wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Voting” in the Civil Rights area. SCDB codes this decision as formally altering one or more of the Court's own precedents. SCDB records that the Court declared a state or territorial law, regulation or constitutional provision unconstitutional.

Read the opinion

• CourtListener (Free Law Project) — opinion text
• Library of Congress — official U.S. Reports scan

Case details

How the Justices voted

Full case caption

Harper et al. v. Virginia Board of Elections et al.

SCDB identifiers: case 1965-079, docket 1965-079-01.

Related decisions

Other cases on “Voting”

• Texas v. United StatesLaw held unconstitutional
  384 U.S. 155Decided May 2, 19666–3Per curiam
• Harman v. ForsseniusLaw held unconstitutional
  380 U.S. 528Decided April 27, 19659–0Earl Warren
• Louisiana v. United StatesLaw held unconstitutional
  380 U.S. 145Decided March 8, 19659–0Hugo L. Black
• United States v. Mississippi
  380 U.S. 128Decided March 8, 19659–0Hugo L. Black
• Davis v. Mabry
  380 U.S. 251Decided March 8, 19658–1Per curiam
• Carrington v. RashLaw held unconstitutional
  380 U.S. 89Decided March 1, 19657–1Potter Stewart

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Cases on the same legal provision: Fourteenth Amendment (equal protection)

• Baxstrom v. HeroldLaw held unconstitutional
  383 U.S. 107Decided February 23, 19669–0Earl Warren
• Burns v. Richardson
  384 U.S. 73Decided April 25, 19668–0William J. Brennan Jr.
• Evans v. Newton
  382 U.S. 296Decided January 17, 19666–3William O. Douglas
• Rinaldi v. YeagerLaw held unconstitutional
  384 U.S. 305Decided May 31, 19668–1Potter Stewart
• Rogers v. Paul
  382 U.S. 198Decided December 6, 19655–4Per curiam
• Long v. District Court of Iowa in and for Lee County
  385 U.S. 192Decided December 5, 19669–0Per curiam

Same Term, same area (Civil Rights)

• Wmca, Inc. v. Lomenzo
  382 U.S. 4Decided October 11, 19659–0Per curiam
• Bradley v. School Board of City of Richmond
  382 U.S. 103Decided November 15, 19659–0Per curiam
• Rogers v. Paul
  382 U.S. 198Decided December 6, 19655–4Per curiam
• Soric v. Immigration and Naturalization Service.
  382 U.S. 285Decided December 13, 19659–0Per curiam
• Evans v. Newton
  382 U.S. 296Decided January 17, 19666–3William O. Douglas
• California v. Buzard
  382 U.S. 386Decided January 18, 19669–0William J. Brennan Jr.

See all

Source: Supreme Court Database, 2026 Release 01 (data file dated September 8, 2026). Imported into CaseTrail November 5, 2026. Coverage: decisions from the 1946 through 2025 Terms. Methodology · Report an error