What was 24th amendment

Although passage of the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments helped remove many of the discriminatory laws left over from slavery, they did not eliminate all forms of discrimination.

The Twenty-Fourth Amendment, ratified on January 23, , was passed to address one particular injustice that prevented numerous citizens from voting, the poll tax, that is, a state fee on voting. Along with literacy tests and durational residency requirements, poll taxes were used to keep low-income primarily African American citizens from participating in elections. In Harman v. Forssenius , the U. Supreme Court rules that this burden of proving residency so far ahead of an election is unconstitutional and violates the 24th Amendment.

Finding that federal anti-discrimination laws, particularly the Civil Rights Act of , are not sufficient to overcome the resistance by state officials to enforce the 15th Amendment as soon as one discriminatory practice is struck down, states impose a new one , Congress adopts this comprehensive voting rights law.

The legislation, which President Lyndon Johnson signs into law on Aug. Under this law, any racially discriminatory act that prevents Americans from voting is prohibited.

After its passage, the voting rate for African Americans will increase rapidly. In Harper v. Virginia Board of Elections , the U. Supreme Court overrules its decision in Breedlove v. Suttles , declaring that the use of a poll tax at state elections is unconstitutional.

As a result of this ruling and the earlier passage of the 24th Amendment, poll taxes cannot be used in either federal or state elections. Home Resources Teaching the Constitution 24th Amendment. The right of citizens of the United States to vote in any primary or other election for President or Vice President, for electors for President or Vice President, or for Senator or Representative in Congress, shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any State by reason of failure to pay poll tax or other tax.

Here is a round-up of the latest from the Battle for the Constitution: a special project on the constitutional debates in…. In this session, students learn about voting rights in America through a historical exploration of the right to vote in America.