whats a poll tax

A poll tax is a tax levied on individuals, usually at a fixed rate, as a requirement for voting in elections. The tax is imposed regardless of the person's income or wealth and was historically used as a way to suppress the voting rights of certain groups, particularly African Americans, by making it difficult for them to afford the tax. Poll taxes have been deemed unconstitutional and were outlawed in the United States through the 24th Amendment in 1964.