Following President Lyndon B. Johnson's announcement of the Voting Rights bill on March 15, 1965, Senator Williams introduced the "Clean Elections" amendment to the bill on March 18, 1965. Williams emphasized that although he supported the principle that every American citizen have the right to vote, he also believed that the process of participating in the election process was nullified by fraudulent voting behaviors, such as vote buying and false voter information. The "Clean Elections" amendment sought to penalize such behavior and ensure an honest and clean election process.

Williams, John J. (John James), 1904-1988. "Statement from Senator John J. Williams introducing the Clean Elections amendment to the Voting Rights Act." Papers of Senator John J. Williams, University of Delaware Library. Accessed 19 April 2024. https://acsc.lib.udel.edu/items/show/34.