24th Amendment
Definition
The 24th Amendment, ratified in 1964, prohibits both Congress and the states from conditioning the right to vote in federal elections on payment of a poll tax or other types of tax.
Analogy
Think of the 24th Amendment like a free admission ticket to your favorite concert. Before this amendment, some people had to pay (poll tax) to get into the concert (vote). But with this amendment, everyone gets a free ticket - no one has to pay to enjoy the music (participate in voting).
Related terms
Poll Tax: A tax levied as a fixed sum on every liable individual. It was used as a prerequisite for voting in some states until outlawed by the 24th Amendment.
Jim Crow Laws: State and local laws that enforced racial segregation in Southern United States until they were overruled by Supreme Court decisions and legislation including the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Voting Rights Act of 1965: A landmark piece of federal legislation that prohibits racial discrimination in voting. It was signed into law during the height of the civil rights movement.
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