What does the Twenty-Fourth Amendment prohibit in federal elections?

The Twenty-Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution, ratified in 1964, specifically prohibits the imposition of poll taxes in federal elections. Poll taxes were fees that individuals were required to pay in order to vote, which effectively disenfranchised many low-income citizens and particularly marginalized groups, as they could not afford to pay the tax.

By prohibiting poll taxes, the Twenty-Fourth Amendment aimed to eliminate this barrier to voting, ensuring that the right to vote could not be restricted based on an individual's economic status. The importance of this amendment lies in its commitment to facilitating equal access to the electoral process for all citizens, reinforcing the principle of equality in voting rights. This amendment was a significant step in the civil rights movement, aiming to correct historical injustices related to voting access.