Reply #29: Amendment XXIV Poll Taxes

[rasputin1952]

The right of the citizen to vote in any primary or other election for President, Vice President, or other electors fro the President or Vice President or for Senator or Representative in Congress shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any State by reason of failure to pay a poll tax or any other tax.

The Voting Rights Act of 1965, (perhaps Gingrich, the "Historian" should read this):

Voting Rights Act of 1965

Introduction
The Voting Rights Act of 1965, passed in the wake of voting demonstrations in Selma, Alabama, provided the capstone to many years' efforts to strengthen voting rights for African-Americans. It gave the Attorney General the power to appoint federal examiners to supervise voter registration in states or voting districts where a literacy or other qualifying test was in use and where fewer than 50 percent of voting age residents were registered or had voted in 1964. Eight states were affected in a major way: Alabama, Alaska, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Caroline, South Carolina, and Virginia.

Although it may not seem such a radical concept in 2002, the Voting Rights Act departed from the pattern of civil rights bills by providing for direct federal action to enable African-Americans to register and vote. Previous laws required individuals to file suits in courts, a process that often took years to conclude. .

<snip>

http://www.congresslink.org/print_basics_histmats_votingrights_contents.htm