No Poll Tax

Hannah Frazer
Period 7
In southern states, everyone was charged the
same amount in poll tax. The rich, landowners
(mostly white) could afford such taxes, but the
poor whites and blacks in particular could not.
Therefore the voting went in favor of the white
people wishing for the continuation of slavery. The
black people spent the little money they had on
food rather than poll taxes. Five states had poll
taxes which affected African-American voters:
Virginia, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, and
Texas. (All Southern States.) The poll tax
exemplified Jim Crow laws, in the South, which
aimed to cause segregation of races.

Some critics of the legislation thought the amendment
did not go far enough to protect black voting rights in
states and local elections.
Arizona, Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi,
Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Wyoming did not
participate in the ratification of the 24
th
amendment.

In the Declaration of Independence, Jefferson wrote
that All Men are created Equal. However, this was not
shown when the Black race was forced to pay to vote in
a few states. This goes against their 15
th
amendment
rights, freedom to vote no matter what race religion,
sex etc. African-Americans were discriminated against,
especially in southern states, and they wished to vote
for a president that would end their division. However,
since most of them were poor, they could not afford
the poll taxes to vote.
In 1939, Congress tried to get rid of the poll tax. After
all, in colonial times and when the Constitution first
came into effect, land ownership was often a
requirement for suffrage.
Congress passed the 24
th
Amendment, which said
that the states and the federal government could
not deny a citizen the right to vote because of
failure to pay a tax of any kind. (In this case, poll
taxes). It was part of the Governments journey to
ensure equality throughout the nation.

The 24
th
Amendment was ratified Jan. 23 in 1964 as
one answer to the attempts by many southern states to
avoid federal law and preserve inequality.
It used the first method , which is, where an
amendment may be proposed by a two-thirds vote in
each house of Congress and be ratified by three
fourths of the State legislatures. 38 State legislatures
must approve the amendment before it is becomes
part of the constitution. (26 of he 27 amendments use
this method)
Illinois was the first to ratify this amendment in
1962 and South Dakota was the 38
th
state. Its
ratification process ended in 1964. Some of these
states kept the poll tax in legal code, even though
they could not enforce it.
The Supreme Court later ruled against other forms
of taxation on voters, such as Virginia requiring a
certificate of residence to vote.
Amendment 24- Anti Poll Tax
This was one of the last legal leftovers of
segregation in voting. It allows anyone, no
matter their race, religion, gender, wealth etc.
to determine whether they can vote or not.
Aug 27, 1962, this amendment was proposed by
congress, and on Jan. 23, 1964 it was ratified.


Today in the U.S.A. citizens, no matter their race,
religion, gender, property ownership, wealth etc.,
people are free to vote without poll tax in both state
and federal elections.


Everyone Can Vote
Detailed Explanation of 1 Court
Case
Harman V. Forssenius in 1965 at the US
Supreme Court: Poll taxes could be renounced
if citizens paid poll taxes for a certificate of
residency six months before the federal
elections in Virginia. This violated the 24
th

Amendment (no poll taxes).Virginia had
attempted to dodge the no poll tax amendment
before but now they were caught. It was argued
on March 1-2, 1965 and the verdict was decided
on April 27,1965.

Court Case
The District Court held the certificate of
residence requirement invalid, as an additional
qualification forced on federal voters.
The verdict: Forced Virginia to abolish its poll
tax.
Interesting Facts
Rights to vote are mentioned five times in the
constitution. (14
th
, 15
th
, 19
th
, 24
th
, 26
th
)
These amendments span over a century of the
government allowing more and more citizens of
different kinds to vote.
Now, basically everyone has the equal opportunity to
vote. Sadly, some illegal people are given that
opportunity as well.
Interesting Facts
The year this amendment was ratified, Lyndon
B. Johnson (democrat) was elected in the 1964
election.
He was credited with being one of the most
important people in the civil rights movement.
This is interesting considering , he was elected
the year that many Blacks were given the right
to vote (1964). He realized the worth of Black
Voting.


(Continuation of the 2
nd
Interesting
fact)
He put the signature to the 1964 Civil Rights
Act and the 1965 Voting Rights Act. He played
a major role in helping equality in voting.

Interesting Facts
Today, some extreme Conservatives are still pushing to
tax people (mainly African-Americans) for voting.
Multimedia Explaining Amendment
24
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMMNg23ZQKY


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzMgjaGhc5c
Sources
"The 24th amendment ended poll tax January 23, 1964."
America's Story from America's Liberty. N.p., n.d. Web. 22
Oct. 2013.
<http://www.americaslibrary.gov/jb/modern/jb_modern_p
olltax_2.html>.
Historical Hightlights. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Oct. 2013.
<http://history.house.gov/HistoricalHighlight/Detail/3704
5>.
"The Importance of the 24h Amendment." Bruce's History
Lessons. Ed. Bruce G. Kauffmann. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Oct.
2013. <http://historylessons.net/the-importance-of-the-
24th-amendment>.