Which case struck down poll taxes in state elections?

Which case struck down poll taxes in state elections?

• A. Harper v. Virginia Board of Elections (1966)
• B. Shelby County v. Holder
• C. Brown v. Board of Education
• D. Bush v. Gore

Answer: (A)

The main idea is that wealth-based hurdles to voting in state elections violate equal protection. In Harper v. Virginia Board of Elections (1966), the Supreme Court ruled that poll taxes in state elections cannot stand because paying a tax has no relation to a citizen’s qualifications to vote. Requiring payment creates a barrier that effectively discriminates based on economic status, and since the right to vote is fundamental, the state cannot condition it on money. This decision struck down poll taxes in practice and established that wealth cannot determine who can vote. Other famous cases you might see in this area deal with different voting or civil rights issues. Shelby County v. Holder focused on the process for challenging state voting laws under the Voting Rights Act, not on poll taxes. Brown v. Board of Education addressed school segregation, and Bush v. Gore concerned how to conduct a recount in a presidential election.

The main idea is that wealth-based hurdles to voting in state elections violate equal protection. In Harper v. Virginia Board of Elections (1966), the Supreme Court ruled that poll taxes in state elections cannot stand because paying a tax has no relation to a citizen’s qualifications to vote. Requiring payment creates a barrier that effectively discriminates based on economic status, and since the right to vote is fundamental, the state cannot condition it on money. This decision struck down poll taxes in practice and established that wealth cannot determine who can vote.

Other famous cases you might see in this area deal with different voting or civil rights issues. Shelby County v. Holder focused on the process for challenging state voting laws under the Voting Rights Act, not on poll taxes. Brown v. Board of Education addressed school segregation, and Bush v. Gore concerned how to conduct a recount in a presidential election.