What was the primary goal of the 24th Amendment?

The primary goal of the 24th Amendment was to prohibit poll taxes in federal elections. Ratified in 1964, this amendment aimed to eliminate a financial barrier that was used to restrict voting rights, particularly for low-income individuals and African Americans in the South. Poll taxes were fees that individuals were required to pay to vote, effectively disenfranchising those who could not afford to pay. By making it illegal to require such fees, the 24th Amendment helped secure more equitable access to the electoral process, thereby reinforcing the democratic principle that voting should be available to all citizens regardless of their economic status.

Other choices pertain to different aspects of voting rights and education reforms. For instance, granting women the right to vote was achieved through the 19th Amendment in 1920. Ending racial segregation in schools was addressed by the landmark Supreme Court case Brown v. Board of Education in 1954. Establishing a voting age of 18 was enacted through the 26th Amendment in 1971. Each of these important milestones reflects the ongoing struggle for voting rights and equality in the United States, but only the 24th Amendment specifically addressed the issue of poll taxes.