Twenty-Fourth Amendment

-Proposed by Congress on August 27, 1962; Declared ratified on January 23, 1964

Section 1
[ANTI-POLL TAX]
"The right of citizens of the United States to vote in any primary or other election for President or Vice President, for electors for President or Vice-President, or for Senator or Representative of Congress, shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any State by reason of failure to pay any poll tax or other tax."
Section 2
[Power to Enforce this Article]
"The Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation."

The 24th Amendment makes poll taxes illegal for federal elections. Poll taxes are taxes that some states began charging during Reconstruction as a way to keep African Americans from voting. Later, the Supreme Court extended protection against poll taxes to include state elections, citing the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment. 

"In January 1964, the 24th Amendment to the Constitution abolished the poll tax. A poll tax was a fee you had to pay at the time of voting. No money, no vote. So, rich people voted, poor people didn't. 44 years later, we have a sort of poll tax: long lines. LONG LINES. How many hours did it "cost" you to vote? 2? 4? 6? HOW MUCH INCOME DID YOU LOSE? So, you need the money, or IF YOU CAN'T TAKE THE LONG WAIT, GUESS WHAT? YOU DON'T VOTE. You want to vote, but you can't afford to. Nonvoters in Ohio, 2004, cost John Kerry the Presidency...Obama voters, no matter what, no matter how long, please, please don't go home. Wait as long as you have to. But do NOT go home without casting your vote...Vote, then go home. VOTE. VOTE... It is time for CHANGE. We, the People have the POWER to make that CHANGE..." (excerpt from video description on YouTube)

Although long lines do cost people their time, and could get in the way of them working and earning money, is it really fair to call it a poll tax? 

In my opinion, its not. A poll tax was established by the government. These long lines are not being set by government officials. They aren't trying to keep people who cannot miss work from voting. It's simply bad luck....and maybe just a sign that its time for a new voting method to come about? But, no, long lines are not a poll tax, just an inconvenience.  

Even though taking a test to vote doesn't require paying a tax, as is outlawed in this amendment, couldn't it be argued to be unconstitutional? If the poll tax originated to keep African Americans from voting, wouldn't taking a test to keep ignorant people away from voting be basically the same thing?