Which term denotes a voting restriction primarily impacting Black citizens in the southern United States before the 1960s?

• A. Grandfather Clause
• B. Poll Tax
• C. Literacy
• D. Segregation

Answer: (B)

A poll tax is a fee that voters had to pay to cast a ballot. In the southern United States, these taxes often prevented Black citizens from voting because many faced poverty or limited access to funds, making the financial barrier hard to overcome. This approach was part of Jim Crow laws designed to curb Black political influence long before the 1960s. While other tactics like literacy tests or grandfather clauses also limited voting, the poll tax directly tied voting to a payment, systematically disenfranchising a large share of Black voters in that era.