Under the Voting Rights Act of 1965, U.S. citizens who graduated from sixth grade in Puerto Rico are allowed to register to vote in New York without having to take an English literacy test. Despite the passing of this legislation, Puerto Ricans were harassed, intimidated, and prevented from voting by local polling officials. In a letter written on September 16, 1965, to President Lyndon B. Johnson, Herman Badillo describes the restrictions and discrimination Puerto Ricans faced when attempting to vote in the Bronx County Primary election.
