CLEP US History II

Answer: C - The 24th Amendment to the United States Constitution, enacted in 1964 (proposed in 1962), established that a citizen’s right to vote in federal elections could not be denied based on his or her payment of a poll tax or any other type of taxation (e.g. Income tax). Though the amendment technically pertains to all taxes, disenfranchisement due to unpaid taxes was uncommon. The amendment primarily addressed the levy of poll taxes in Southern states, which was a Reconstruction Era tactic to keep African-American citizens from voting. It also had the unintended consequence of keeping poor white citizens from voting. As of the amendment’s 1962 proposal, five states still imposed poll taxes for federal elections: Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi, Texas, and Virginia.