24th Amendment (1964) Ending poll taxes in federal elections
The Twenty-Fourth Amendment blocks the government from charging citizens money just to vote.
It exists to stop financial barriers from being used to silence political voices.
Plain-English summary of the 24th Amendment
This amendment bans poll taxes in federal elections.
Poll taxes were used to prevent poor citizens, especially minorities, from voting.
The amendment ensures voting is a right, not a purchase.
What the 24th Amendment actually says (short excerpt)
“The right of citizens… to vote shall not be denied… by reason of failure to pay any poll tax…”
In plain English: you don’t have to pay to vote.
How the 24th Amendment limits government power
What the government may NOT do
Charge fees for voting in federal elections.
What citizens are protected from
Economic exclusion from democracy.
Which branch is most affected
Congress and election administrators.
Everyday examples
Federal elections cannot require payment to vote.
Historical story – dismantling a voting barrier
Poll taxes were designed to suppress turnout. The amendment removed a financial gate that favored the powerful over ordinary citizens.
Historical quote
President Lyndon Johnson called voting “the most powerful instrument ever devised by man.”
The amendment ensures money cannot block that instrument.
USCIS civics test connection
Question
What amendment banned poll taxes?
Correct short answer
The Twenty-Fourth Amendment.
Quick recap
It blocks vote-buying barriers.
It protects equal access.
It strengthens democratic consent.