Cite as: 520 U. S. 273 (1997)
Opinion of the Court
method for registration for state elections, and as one set of methods to register for federal elections. See App. to Juris. Statement 21a. All other States, we are told, have modified their voter registration rules so that NVRA registration registers voters for both federal and state elections. Brief for United States as Amicus Curiae 4.
C
This case arises out of efforts by Mississippi to preclear, under § 5 of the VRA, changes that it made to comply with the NVRA. In December 1994, Mississippi submitted to the United States Attorney General a list of NVRA-implementing changes that it then intended to make. That submission essentially described what we have called the Provisional Plan. The submission contained numerous administrative changes described in two booklets called The National Voter Registration Act, App. 26-43, and the Mississippi Agency Voter Registration Procedures Manual, id., at 51-60. It also included the proposed state legislation necessary to make the Provisional Plan work for state elections as well. Id., at 86-104. Mississippi requested preclearance. Id., at 109-110. On February 1, 1995, the Department of Justice wrote to Mississippi that the Attorney General did "not interpose any objection to the specified changes"— thereby preclearing Mississippi's submitted changes. App. to Juris. Statement 17a.
As we pointed out above, however, on January 25, about one week before the Attorney General precleared the proposed changes, the state legislature had tabled the proposed legislation needed to make those changes effective for state elections. On February 10, 10 days after the Department precleared the proposed changes, Mississippi officials wrote to voter registration officials around the State, telling them that it "appears unlikely that the Legislature will" revive the tabled bill; that the Provisional Plan's registration would therefore not work for state elections; that they should
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