Which amendment abolished poll taxes?

• A. The Nineteenth Amendment
• B. The Twenty-fourth Amendment
• C. The Fifteenth Amendment
• D. The Seventeenth Amendment

Answer: (B)

The amendment that abolished poll taxes is the Twenty-fourth Amendment. Ratified in 1964, this amendment specifically prohibits the use of poll taxes in federal elections. Poll taxes were fees that individuals had to pay in order to vote, which disproportionately affected low-income individuals, particularly African Americans and poor whites in the Southern states. By eliminating this financial barrier to voting, the Twenty-fourth Amendment aimed to enhance voter participation and ensure a more equitable electoral process.

The other amendments listed have different focuses: the Nineteenth Amendment grants women the right to vote, the Fifteenth Amendment prohibits denying the right to vote based on race, and the Seventeenth Amendment changes how U.S. Senators are elected. Each of these amendments addresses important aspects of voting rights, but none of them relate to the elimination of poll taxes.