Harper v. Virginia Board of Elections


Argued January 25–26, 1966
Decided March 24, 1966
Full case name
Citations 383 U.S. 663 (more)
86 S. Ct. 1079; 16 L. Ed. 2d 169; 1966 U.S. LEXIS 2905
Prior history Appeal from the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia
Holding
A State's conditioning of the right to vote on the payment of a fee or tax violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.
Court membership


Case opinions
Majority Douglas, joined by Warren, Clark, Brennan, White, Fortas
Dissent Harlan
Dissent Black and Stewart
Laws applied
U.S. Const. amend. XIV

Harper v. Virginia Board of Elections, , was a case in which the U.S. Supreme Court found that Virginia's poll tax was unconstitutional under the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment. The Twenty-fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution prohibited poll taxes in federal elections; the Supreme Court extended this prohibition to state elections.

Background

The case was filed by Virginia resident Annie E. Harper, who was unable to register without having to pay a poll tax. She brought the suit on behalf of other poor residents and herself. After being dismissed by a U.S. district court, the case went to the United States Supreme Court.

The Decision

In a 6 to 3 vote, the Court ruled in favor of Ms. Harper. The Court noted that “a state violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution whenever it makes the affluence of the voter or payment of any fee an electoral standard. Voter qualifications have no relation to wealth.”

This ruling reversed a prior decision by the Court, Breedlove v. Suttles, , which upheld the state's ability to impose poll taxes.

See also

• List of United States Supreme Court cases, volume 383

External links

• The Voting Rights Act of 1965, USDOJ.gov
• "Not the Rich, More Than the Poor: Poverty, Race, and Campaign Finance Reform" by John C. Bonifaz

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