As The Washington Post's Darryl Fears notes, today marks the fortieth anniversary of the signing of the Voting Rights Act.

As Congress deliberates reauthorizing the act, which is set to expire at the end of next year, some conservative critics argue that two key provisions should be modified, if not dropped altogether. One of those provisions, Section 5, requires states to draw minority-controlled congressional districts if black and Hispanic voters dominate certain residential areas.

Section 5 also required election officials in nine states, mostly in the South, to submit any voting rules changes that might affect minorities to the Justice Department for pre-clearance.

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The other voting rights provision under scrutiny, Section 203, requires election officials to assist immigrant voters who don't speak English by providing them with voting material in their native language. The provision is not widely challenged because it benefits Asian Americans, Latinos, Armenians and others on both sides of the political divide.

In a speech earlier this week, Gonzales said he would work for the reauthorization of both provisions, according to the Justice Department. Republicans in the House and Senate have so far been supportive. President Bush has remained neutral on the issue, saying he would support any resolution that seemed fair.

But some conservative critics argue that Section 5 has all but wiped out major discrimination at the polls. Abigail Thernstrom, a conservative member of the U.S. Civil Rights Commission, said Congress should eliminate Section 5 -- which covers Virginia, Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas -- and voters claiming discrimination should seek remedies in the courts, as they do in the 41 states that are not covered by the provision.

What are some of the tangible effects of the Act, one might ask.

At the time the law was enacted, there were three black members of Congress; today there are 43. There are also 25 Hispanic House members and one Hispanic senator, compared with five members of Congress in 1965.

It would be a great disservice to the American Democracy if the Republican Congress fails to renew the Act. But more still must be done. In areas of this country, some voters -- many of them minorities -- had to wait up to nine hours to vote. Nine hours. That is simply unacceptable.

There are some solutions, including making election day a national holiday for workers. Of course there are those who are at best apathetic about getting a larger portion of Americans voting. But for the American Democracy to survive into the next century, it is incumbent upon the politicians to figure out a way to get voters more involved in the process -- even if they might want to upset the status quo.