This amendment, the twenty fourth added to the United States Constitution, was ratified on January 23, 1964. It banned the use of the poll tax and other taxes for restrictin voting in federal elections. Since the early 20th century, there have been many rulings concerning the poll tax. The majority of these cases ruled against the poll tax and upheld many of the same ideas and concepts. More importantly though, this amendment lead to the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. This law had an immediate impact with nearly a quarter million new black voters registering and has continued to be the most important effect of the twenty fourth amendment.

Perhaps the most influential result of the ratification twenty fourth amendment was the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. In 1957 and in 1960, Congress had passed many laws to protect the rights of black voters. Even wit

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In 1963, in anticipation of the passing of the twenty fourth amendment, the governor of Virginia called a special session of the Virginia General Assemble to discuss the poll tax. There, they enacted two acts concerning the tax.

The Voting Rights Act began many new policies. First, the attorney general was now able to send federal examiners to register black voters under special circumstances. This act also suspended all literacy tests in states in which less than fifty percent of the population that was of voting age had registered to vote. This new law had a immediate and widespread impact. First, nearly a quarter million new black voters had been registered by the end of 1965. Nearly one-third of these voters could be directly attributed to the federal examiners appointed by the attorney general. This act was also strengthened in 1970, 1975, and 1982. The ruling that strengthened this law in 1982 did so in an important way. During this time, Congress amended Section 2 of the law to overturn the Mobile decision. The court ruled in that case, Mobile v. Bolden, that Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act invalidates only the voting issues that were accepted for the sole purpose of discrimination(2). Therefore with its strengthening in 1982, the act now stated that a voting practice that, "results in a denial or abridgment" of the right to vote can violate the law. Although it was met with much opposition, the Voting Rights Act became the most notable and lasting effects of the ratification of the twenty fourth amendment.

The ratification of the twenty fourth amendment in itself was not at all an important event. But, the end results, such as the Voting Rights Act, were very important. This amendment paved the way for that act and the equal voting rights of all people. Poll taxes were the major inhibitor towards voter registration of minorities. That is the main reason that this amendment is in the Constitution. All people should have equal opportunity to participate in federal elections. The twenty fourth amendment, like all of the others, is common sense and very logical.

This is basically a much clearer affirmation of the restrictions of the poll tax in federal elections. There are two key ideas that this statement makes clear. First, people are allowed to vote

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