Which Supreme Court case (1966) ruled that poll taxes in state elections violated equal protection?

• A. Harper v. Virginia Board of Elections
• B. Brown v. Board of Education
• C. Plessy v. Ferguson
• D. Roe v. Wade

Answer: (A)

Voting rights protection is the focus here: you can’t condition the right to vote on wealth. In Harper v. Virginia Board of Elections (1966), the Supreme Court ruled that poll taxes in state elections violate equal protection of the laws under the 14th Amendment. While the 24th Amendment had already barred poll taxes in federal elections (1964), this decision extended that protection to state elections, saying that requiring payment to vote is an impermissible wealth-based restriction on a fundamental right. The Court framed the payment requirement as an actual barrier to the right to vote, not a mere financial cost, and struck it down because it undermines equal protection by denying political participation based on economic status. This case is a key moment in broadening voting rights and ensuring that money cannot determine who can participate in elections.

The other cases you might hear about deal with different issues: Brown v. Board of Education addressed racial segregation in schools, Plessy v. Ferguson upheld “separate but equal” facilities (an older ruling later overturned), and Roe v. Wade concerned abortion rights.