Which constitutional amendment prohibited poll taxes in federal elections?

Which constitutional amendment prohibited poll taxes in federal elections?

• A. 26th Amendment
• B. 19th Amendment
• C. 20th Amendment
• D. 24th Amendment

Answer: (D)

Poll taxes were used to create a financial barrier to voting, especially affecting poorer citizens and minority communities. The amendment that directly bans this barrier in federal elections is the 24th Amendment, ratified in 1964. It prohibits denying or abridging the right to vote in federal elections due to a failure to pay a poll tax, removing a monetary prerequisite for casting a ballot for federal offices. This change reflects the broader 1960s push to ensure equal access to voting. While the 24th Amendment stops poll taxes for federal elections, later Supreme Court rulings extended similar protections to state elections as well, reinforcing the principle that voting should not be conditioned on paying a tax.

Poll taxes were used to create a financial barrier to voting, especially affecting poorer citizens and minority communities. The amendment that directly bans this barrier in federal elections is the 24th Amendment, ratified in 1964. It prohibits denying or abridging the right to vote in federal elections due to a failure to pay a poll tax, removing a monetary prerequisite for casting a ballot for federal offices. This change reflects the broader 1960s push to ensure equal access to voting. While the 24th Amendment stops poll taxes for federal elections, later Supreme Court rulings extended similar protections to state elections as well, reinforcing the principle that voting should not be conditioned on paying a tax.