Strengthened Voting Rights Rules Issued

WASHINGTON — The Justice Department, reversing earlier stated civil rights policy, issued regulations Tuesday strengthening the Voting Rights Act by giving the government more authority to reject local election changes.

The regulations, which will take effect Feb. 5, allow the Justice Department to reject proposed changes in local election law on the basis of discriminatory results without having to prove that officials intended to discriminate against blacks or other minorities.

Assistant Atty. Gen. William Bradford Reynolds said last August the department would no longer consider whether election plans have discriminatory results in its decisions on whether to approve thousands of such changes.