Which amendment abolished poll taxes in federal elections?

• A. The Twenty-fourth Amendment
• B. The Nineteenth Amendment
• C. The Eighteenth Amendment
• D. The Sixteenth Amendment

Answer: (A)

The correct answer is the Twenty-fourth Amendment, which specifically abolished poll taxes in federal elections. Ratified in 1964, this amendment aimed to eliminate a financial barrier that was used to disenfranchise poorer citizens, particularly African Americans and other minority groups. Poll taxes required individuals to pay a fee to vote, which unfairly impacted those who could not afford to do so. By prohibiting such practices in federal elections, the Twenty-fourth Amendment reinforced the principle of equal access to voting rights, embodying a significant step towards making the electoral process more equitable.

The other amendments mentioned do not relate to the issue of poll taxes: the Nineteenth Amendment granted women the right to vote, the Eighteenth Amendment established Prohibition, and the Sixteenth Amendment authorized the federal government to levy an income tax. Thus, those amendments serve different purposes and do not address the specific concern of poll taxes.