Amendment1962
24th Amendment Passes Congress
Congress approved the 24th Amendment and sent it to the states for ratification. The amendment prohibited the use of poll taxes in federal elections, which had been used primarily in Southern states to prevent African Americans and poor whites from voting.
Why It Matters
The 24th Amendment removed one of the most common barriers to voting used to disenfranchise minority and low-income citizens, advancing the principle that the right to vote should not depend on wealth.