Which of the following best describes the significance of the Voting Rights Act of 1965? A. The act was vetoed by the president due to concerns about the violent response in the South, but Congress overrode the veto.

B. Within a few years of its passage, the number of black registered voters and elected officials had increased substantially.

C. It marked the first substantial change to voting rights since the ratification of the Constitution in 1787.

D. Southern states refused to recognize the new legislation, and as a result federal troops were sent to escort black voters to the ballot box.