Which mechanism was used to exclude black voters by requiring a tax before voting?

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

Answer: (A)

This item centers on how financial barriers were used to suppress Black voting. A poll tax required a fee to vote, which many Black citizens in the South could not afford. Because participation depended on being able to pay, this tactic effectively disenfranchised a large portion of eligible Black voters, even if they met other qualifications. This approach targets economic capability rather than literacy or lineage, unlike literacy tests or grandfather clauses, and is different from the white primary, which limited participation in party nominating contests. Poll taxes were eventually outlawed in federal elections by the 24th Amendment and in state elections by a Supreme Court ruling in Harper v. Virginia Board of Elections.