Which amendment prohibits poll taxes in federal elections?

• A. Twenty-Fourth Amendment (1964)
• B. Thirteenth Amendment (1865)
• C. Fifth Amendment (1791)
• D. Seventeenth Amendment (1913)

Answer: (A)

Poll taxes in federal elections are addressed directly by the Twenty-Fourth Amendment. It declares that the right to vote in any federal election for President, Vice President, or Members of Congress shall not be denied or abridged by failure to pay any poll tax or other tax. This blocks a financial barrier that historically kept many people, especially low-income voters and marginalized groups, from casting their ballots in federal elections.

The other amendments listed don’t target poll taxes in federal elections. The Thirteenth Amendment bans slavery and involuntary servitude. The Fifth Amendment protects due process and other rights but doesn’t address voting taxes. The Seventeenth Amendment changes how senators are elected but does not mention poll taxes. So the Twenty-Fourth Amendment is the one that directly prohibits poll taxes in federal elections.