United States Code

52 U.S.C. § 10306

Poll taxes

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Bills that would change it 16

HR 9222 Drain the Swamp Act Amends 10306(b) · introduced · 119th Congress
S 2523 John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2025 Amends 10306(b) · introduced · 119th Congress
HR 14 John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2025 Amends 10306(b) · introduced · 119th Congress
S 4 John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2024 Amends 10306(b) · introduced · 118th Congress
HR 14 John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2023 Amends 10306(b) · introduced · 118th Congress
HR 7905 Voting Rights Amendment Act of 2022 Amends its part · introduced · 117th Congress
HR 5746 Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act Amends 10306(b) · introduced · 117th Congress
S 4 John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2021 Amends 10306(b) · introduced · 117th Congress
HR 4 John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2021 Amends 10306(b) · introduced · 117th Congress
HR 4 Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2019 Amends its part · introduced · 116th Congress
HR 1799 Voting Rights Amendment Act of 2019 Amends its part · introduced · 116th Congress
S 561 Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2019 Amends its part · introduced · 116th Congress
HR 5785 Jobs and Justice Act of 2018 Amends its part · introduced · 115th Congress
HR 3239 Voting Rights Amendment Act of 2017 Amends its part · introduced · 115th Congress
HR 2978 Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2017 Amends its part · introduced · 115th Congress
S 1419 Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2017 Amends its part · introduced · 115th Congress

The law today

From the official United States Code, current through Public Law 119-121.

(a) Congressional finding and declaration of policy against enforced payment of poll taxes as a device to impair voting rights The Congress finds that the requirement of the payment of a poll tax as a precondition to voting (i) precludes persons of limited means from voting or imposes unreasonable financial hardship upon such persons as a precondition to their exercise of the franchise, (ii) does not bear a reasonable relationship to any legitimate State interest in the conduct of elections, and (iii) in some areas has the purpose or effect of denying persons the right to vote because of race or color. Upon the basis of these findings, Congress declares that the constitutional right of citizens to vote is denied or abridged in some areas by the requirement of the payment of a poll tax as a precondition to voting. (b) Authority of Attorney General to institute actions for relief against enforcement of poll tax requirement In the exercise of the powers of Congress under section 5 of the fourteenth amendment, section 2 of the fifteenth amendment and section 2 of the twenty-fourth amendment, the Attorney General is authorized and directed to institute forthwith in the name of the United States such actions, including actions against States or political subdivisions, for declaratory judgment or injunctive relief against the enforcement of any requirement of the payment of a poll tax as a precondition to voting, or substitute therefor enacted after November 1, 1964, as will be necessary to implement the declaration of subsection (a) and the purposes of this section. (c) Jurisdiction of three-judge district courts; appeal to Supreme Court The district courts of the United States shall have jurisdiction of such actions which shall be heard and determined by a court of three judges in accordance with the provisions of section 2284 of title 28 and any appeal shall lie to the Supreme Court. It shall be the duty of the judges designated to hear the case to assign the case for hearing at the earliest practicable date, to participate in the hearing and determination thereof, and to cause the case to be in every way expedited.

Official text at uscode.house.gov ↗