The Twenty-fourth Amendment

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."

Section 1.

The right of all citizens of the United States to elect representatives in national, state, local, and primary elections, shall not be denied, and poll taxes are not allowed.

Section 2.

Congress will enforce these provisions under appropriate law if needed.

This 1942 cartoon sums it up well. African Americans (especially in the south) faced serious discrimination and were faced with voting barriers, such as literacy tests, that made it difficult for them to vote for the nominee that would work to end the acts of injustice. Poll taxes were priced just enough to stop poor people from voting. Even though everyone was supposed to be entitled to a vote under the 15th amendment, people found loopholes to tailor to their political advantage and the poor's disadvantage. Until the 24th amendment that is....

http://totallyhistory.com/24th-amendment-to-the-constitution/

This article gave me a good idea of the events leading up to this amendment, and it was not an easy victory to achieve. From the period spanning from 1890 to 1964 when the 24th amendment was finally ratified, the idea was considered, drafted, reconsidered and disregarded over and over again. I learned that Harry S. Truman created the President's Committee on Civil Rights, to work towards equal rights, including investigating the poll tax. (He was my great-great uncle by marriage!!!) The election of JFK sparked reconsideration of abolishing the poll tax, and he decided instead of trying to pass legislation again, adding a Constitutional amendment would be the best course of action. Now everyone can vote for free, the way it should be! Don't take that right for granted!