24th Amendment

The 24th Amendment to the United States Constitution, ratified in 1964, prohibits the use of poll taxes in federal elections. Poll taxes were fees that some states required voters to pay before they could cast their ballots, effectively disenfranchising low-income individuals, particularly African Americans and poor whites. By abolishing poll taxes, the amendment aimed to ensure that the right to vote could not be denied based on a person's ability to pay, reinforcing the principle that voting is a fundamental right for all citizens.