Which voting restriction required payment of a tax before voting?

Which voting restriction required payment of a tax before voting?

• A. Literacy test
• B. Poll tax
• C. Grandfather clause
• D. White primary

Answer: (B)

A financial barrier to voting is what this item is testing, specifically a poll tax—the requirement that a citizen pay a tax before they can vote. This is the best answer because it directly involves a payment in order to participate in an election, a tactic historically used to suppress turnout among poorer citizens and racial minorities in the Jim Crow era. Other restrictions did not hinge on paying a fee: literacy tests assessed reading ability, the grandfather clause exempted some people based on their ancestry, and the white primary limited who could vote in party nominating contests. Poll taxes were ultimately outlawed for federal elections by the 24th Amendment and in state elections by later Supreme Court rulings, reflecting the principle that voting access should not be conditioned on a price tag.

A financial barrier to voting is what this item is testing, specifically a poll tax—the requirement that a citizen pay a tax before they can vote. This is the best answer because it directly involves a payment in order to participate in an election, a tactic historically used to suppress turnout among poorer citizens and racial minorities in the Jim Crow era. Other restrictions did not hinge on paying a fee: literacy tests assessed reading ability, the grandfather clause exempted some people based on their ancestry, and the white primary limited who could vote in party nominating contests. Poll taxes were ultimately outlawed for federal elections by the 24th Amendment and in state elections by later Supreme Court rulings, reflecting the principle that voting access should not be conditioned on a price tag.