Terry v. Adams
Citation
345 U.S. 461 (1953)
Facts
Stub — to be completed.
Issue
Stub — to be completed.
Holding
Stub — to be completed.
Rule
A private political club’s all-white pre-primary election that effectively determined the outcome of the Democratic primary constituted state action; the Fifteenth Amendment prohibits racial discrimination in elections regardless of whether the discriminating entity is formally governmental.
Significance
Extends the white primary cases (Smith v. Allwright) to private clubs whose elections effectively control the outcome of official elections; government cannot permit private discrimination to subvert voting rights.