Voting and race
Prohibits denial or restriction of a citizen's voting rights because of race, color, or previous enslavement.
In Simple, Modern English
Section 1 says neither the federal government nor a state may deny or limit a U.S. citizen's voting rights because of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.
Section 2 lets Congress enforce this rule with appropriate laws.
Important Clauses & Details
Section 1: Prohibited grounds
The amendment bars race-, color-, and prior-servitude-based voting discrimination by both national and state governments.
Section 2: Enforcement
Congress can legislate to enforce the protection, a basis for federal voting-rights measures.
Voting rights amendments: 15, 19, 24, and 26
15: no denial or abridgment based on race, color, or previous condition of servitude. 19: no denial or abridgment based on sex. 24: no poll tax or other tax as a condition of voting in federal elections. 26: citizens 18 or older cannot be denied or abridged the vote on account of age. These amendments did not instantly remove every practical barrier to voting.
Why It Was Added
Reconstruction reformers wanted emancipation and citizenship to include political participation for Black men. Voting could give formerly enslaved citizens influence over governments that otherwise threatened their rights.
The amendment did not immediately end racial disenfranchisement: intimidation and discriminatory devices continued. It does not itself prohibit every type of voting qualification.
Plain-English study paraphrases summarize the text; they are not verbatim translations. Historical provisions and later changes are identified above. Sources: National Archives and Constitution Annotated.