What term is a tax of a fixed amount per person, often linked to the right to vote?

• A. Grandfather Clause
• B. Poll Tax
• C. Literacy
• D. White Primary

Answer: (B)

A poll tax is a fixed amount charged to each person who wants to vote. This creates a financial barrier to participation and was used historically to keep certain groups, especially poorer citizens, from exercising their voting rights. That makes it the best fit for a tax tied to the right to vote.

Other terms describe different voting barriers: a grandfather clause allowed people to vote based on their ancestors’ status (not a tax), literacy tests measured reading or writing ability (not a tax), and a white primary excluded a group from primary elections (not a tax). Poll taxes were eventually banned in federal elections and then nationwide, underscoring how they were a direct monetary hurdle to voting.