No poll taxes in federal elections
Prohibits requiring payment of a poll tax or other tax to vote in federal elections.
In Simple, Modern English
Section 1 says the federal government and states cannot deny or limit a citizen's voting rights in primaries or other federal elections because the person has not paid a poll tax or another tax. It covers president, vice president, presidential electors, senators, and representatives.
Section 2 lets Congress enforce the rule.
Important Clauses & Details
Section 1: Covered elections
The protection reaches federal primaries as well as general federal elections. It concerns both a poll tax and other taxes used as a condition of voting.
Section 2: Enforcement
Congress may pass appropriate laws to enforce the prohibition.
Why It Was Added
Poll taxes created a financial barrier to voting and were used, especially in the South, to suppress Black voters and poor voters. Civil-rights reformers sought to remove payment as a condition of participating in federal elections.
The 24th's text covers federal elections. The Supreme Court separately struck down state-election poll taxes under the 14th Amendment in Harper v. Virginia State Board of Elections.
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.