Amendment 24 of 27 · 1964
Twenty-fourth Amendment
No poll taxes
The one-line version
No one can be charged a fee to vote in a federal election. A 1966 Supreme Court ruling extended this to state elections.
The Twenty-fourth Amendment in plain English
Section 1. The right of U.S. citizens to vote in federal elections — for President, Vice President, presidential electors, U.S. Senators, or U.S. Representatives — cannot be denied or limited by the federal government or any state because of failure to pay a poll tax or other tax.
Section 2. Congress has the power to enforce this amendment by passing appropriate laws.
Original text, 1964
Section 1. The right of citizens of the United States to vote in any primary or other election for President or Vice President, for electors for President or Vice President, or for Senator or Representative in Congress, shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any State by reason of failure to pay any poll tax or other tax.
Section 2. The Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.
Phrase by phrase
to vote in any primary or other election for President or Vice President
- Voting in federal elections, including primaries, such as for President and Vice President,
or for Senator or Representative in Congress
- and for members of Congress
by reason of failure to pay any poll tax or other tax
- cannot be blocked because you did not pay a voting fee or any other tax.
The Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.
- Congress can pass laws to enforce this.
Picture it
Example. Not legal advice.
You go to vote for the first time. No one at the polling place can ask you to pay money before you get your ballot. Charging a fee to vote is not allowed in any U.S. election today. If it happens, you can ask for an election official or call the Election Protection hotline at 866-687-8683.
What this means for you
No fee to vote
The Twenty-Fourth Amendment bans poll taxes in federal elections. A poll tax is a fee you must pay to be allowed to vote. Not paying any other tax also cannot be a reason to deny your vote in a federal election.
State elections too
The amendment's text covers only federal elections. In Harper v. Virginia State Board of Elections (1966), the Court held that poll taxes in state elections violate the Fourteenth Amendment. Together, the amendment and Harper ended poll taxes in all U.S. elections.
Other costs of voting
The amendment does not directly cover other costs, such as getting a required ID or getting to the polls. In Crawford v. Marion County Election Board (2008), the Court upheld Indiana's photo ID law for voting. The Court noted that Indiana offered free IDs to voters.
Myth check
MythThe Twenty-Fourth Amendment bans poll taxes in every election.
FactThe text covers only federal elections. Harper v. Virginia State Board of Elections (1966) banned poll taxes in state and local elections under the Fourteenth Amendment.
MythPoll taxes were just small fees that did not stop anyone.
FactFor many poor families, the fee was a real cost, and in some states unpaid fees added up. That is why the tax kept many people from voting.
Common questions
What does the 24th Amendment say in simple terms?
No one can be denied the vote in a federal election for failing to pay a poll tax or any other tax. Federal elections include those for President, Vice President, and Congress, and their primaries.
What is a poll tax?
A poll tax is a fee a person must pay to be allowed to vote. After Reconstruction, many Southern states used poll taxes to keep Black citizens and poor citizens from voting. In 1964, five states still charged one.
Are poll taxes illegal in state elections?
Yes. The 24th Amendment covers only federal elections. In Harper v. Virginia State Board of Elections (1966), the Court held that poll taxes in state elections violate the 14th Amendment. Together, they ended poll taxes in all U.S. elections.
When was the 24th Amendment ratified?
January 23, 1964, during the civil rights movement. At that time, Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi, Texas, and Virginia still charged poll taxes in federal elections. The amendment ended those taxes right away.
Is voter ID a poll tax?
The Supreme Court has not ruled that it is. In Crawford v. Marion County Election Board (2008), the Court upheld Indiana's photo ID law for voting. It noted that Indiana offered free IDs. Critics say the papers needed to get an ID can cost money and burden voters. Supporters say free IDs mean no one pays to vote.
Go deeper
The scene · 1964
After Reconstruction, many Southern states made people pay a yearly poll tax before they could vote. In some states, unpaid taxes added up year after year. The fee kept many Black citizens and poor white citizens from voting. By 1964, five states still charged it, and the Twenty-Fourth Amendment ended it in federal elections.
Back then
Poll taxes spread across the South in the late 1800s and early 1900s, along with reading tests. Congress debated banning them for years. In 1962, Congress proposed this amendment, and enough states ratified it by January 1964.
Words that changed
- “poll tax”
ThenA fee for voting. 'Poll' once meant 'head,' so a poll tax was a tax on each person.
NowToday 'poll' usually means voting or a survey. Poll taxes are banned in all U.S. elections.
Key cases
- 1937
Breedlove v. Suttles
Georgia's poll tax did not violate the Constitution; this ruling was later overruled.
- 1965
Harman v. Forssenius
Virginia could not make federal voters choose between paying a poll tax and filing a special residence certificate.
- 1966
Harper v. Virginia State Board of Elections
Poll taxes in state elections violate the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.
More history and context
The Twenty-Fourth Amendment was ratified on January 23, 1964, during the civil rights movement. It was aimed at poll taxes that Southern states used to keep Black citizens and poor citizens from voting.
When it was ratified, five states still charged poll taxes in federal elections: Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi, Texas, and Virginia. The amendment ended those taxes in federal elections right away.
Two years later, in Harper v. Virginia State Board of Elections (1966), the Court held that poll taxes in state elections violate the Fourteenth Amendment. Together, the amendment and Harper ended poll taxes everywhere in the United States.
Modern debates about the costs of voting, such as fees for documents needed to get an ID, sometimes mention this amendment. Courts have usually decided those cases under other parts of the Constitution.
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